The Hunter's heart
by Blood Thirsty Angle
Summary: "If you are ever caught by a mortal, then you are bound to them until the day you die." Merlin had always known that if he left the druid camp, there was a chance he would be hunted, but he never gave much thought about it until the day he was.
1. The Hunter

_**Author's note:** Hello everyone! So, this is the first Merlin fanfic I have ever written. I was writing for a few of my other stories and kind of wanted to throw something new out. While watching a Merlin video on youtube, I came up with this idea of having Merlin be a druid and caught by Arthur, and is now bound to him by an ancient law of magic. This is the first Merlin fic I have ever written, so please no flames. I know I'm kind of late coming into the fandom, but I really love and enjoy this series (as do the rest of you), and want to see what people's response is._

_Another thing to note is that this is a slash fic, which means Merlin and Arthur. If that isn't your cup of tea then leave now because I'm only warning you once. To the rest of you, enjoy_

_**Warnings:** Some man on man stuff later but for this chapter, none_

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin and never will. All OC characters that might show up later belong to me and will not become the main focus of the story_

**_Pairings:_**_ MerlinxArthur, LancelotxGuinevere, WillxFreya, BalinorxHunith, UtherxIgraine_

_**Summary: **__"If you are ever caught by a mortal, then you are bound to them until the day you die." _Merlin had always known that if he left the Druid camp, there was a chance he would be hunted, but he never gave much thought about it until the day he was.

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><p><span><strong>Chapter one: The Hunter<strong>

Merlin should have really listened to his mother about leaving the druid camp.

"At least take Freya with you, or Will," she had pleaded that morning as she cleaned up breakfast, blue eyes shining with worry. "Or even young Mordred."

"I'll be fine, Mother," he had promised, placing his hands on her small shoulders. "Who would even think of attacking me? I'm the most inconspicuous thing in the forest!"

Now he wanted to smack himself upside the head. How could he have been such a clotpole? Of course the universe loved to prove him wrong. "You make it too easy." Will had told him once, and now those words were echoing around in his mind. Pressing himself harder against the tree, he peered from over his shoulder at the knights who were now stopped at the stream.

There were five of them, along with five of their horses. Three of them were giving water to their horses while the other two sat on a fallen log, talking about whatever. He studied them from a far, wanting to get a closer look at them. One was tanned, with dark hair and dark brown eyes that held a kind light in them. Undoubtedly handsome, Merlin couldn't help but note. The other man was just as handsome, only with lightly sun kissed skin and golden hair. His eyes were a beautiful blue, rivaling that of the sky. However, Merlin knew who he was on the spot.

"Prince Arthur Pendragon," he whispered, moving his head away as to not draw attention. "Of all the people I have to come across!"

He could feel his heart thumping loudly as the Prince laughed at something the man next to him said and tingles of fear ran up his spine. If any of them walked forward, they would see him and catch him. He couldn't let them know he was a druid! He just couldn't! All the sacrifices his mother made for him would be in vain. They were risking their very lives by just being in Camelot.

He gulped, his feet moving a little from standing still so long. The sickening crunch of a tree branch underneath his left foot ruined his chances of hiding. He looked down with horror, watching as the branch broke into two pieces. "Maybe they won't notice," he murmured to himself. "Maybe they'll just go away and return to the castle."

Of course though, he was wrong. "What was that?" one of the men asked sharply. "I heard something!"

"_Merlin….what are you doing? Run!"_

He could hear Freya's voice project in his mind, her tone sounding scared. Looking up into a tree nearby, he could see her sitting up in it, mouthing at him to run. He nodded, preparing to launch himself from the tree, but his feet were refusing to move.

"_Emrys, why are you just standing there? Run!"_

He could not see where Mordred was, but he could hear the child's voice very clearly. Along with Freya's voice, the two of them swarmed around in his mind, one sounding worried while the other one sounded angry. Taking a deep breath, he launched himself from the tree, not looking back at the knights who had now passed his tree.

"Hey, you there! Stop running!" One of the knights called, sounding extremely upset.

Merlin continued to push on, his breath becoming heavier and heavier. There was no way he was going to lead the knights back to camp. If they discovered their hideout, then, they would kill everyone! That's what Knights of Camelot did. They murdered anyone with magic, child or adult. They had no mercy and killed without second thought. That's what he had been told his entire life and that way of thinking was not going to change any time soon.

"Halt! I said halt!"

"Owaine, hand me my crossbow!"

That didn't sound good. If anything, it made Merlin run even faster. He had to find shelter somewhere. A tree perhaps but not one near Freya's. If he put her in danger, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. He still had no clue to where Mordred was and that was okay with him. He wasn't overly fond of the boy, but he did not want to put him in any danger either.

He raced past two more trees, his feet getting more and more tired. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest, his mouth becoming dry as the air pierced his lungs. He looked around for shelter, but did not find one that was suitable. Unlike Freya, he was not an avid tree climber and could not climb them as fast as she could. He was too tall to hide in bushes and there were no caves around to be seen. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was trapped.

And then, the most painful sensation happened.

Something sharp pierced its way into his shoulder, digging into the flesh and muscles there. He screamed, losing his balance and fell to the ground, shaking and twitching. The knights moved closer, one of them laying a hand gently on his shoulder. "You're alright," a gentle voice said in his ear. "It's just in your shoulder. We'll remove it soon."

Through teary eyes, he could see the dark haired man smiling gently at him, patting his good shoulder gently. "Did you really have to shoot him, Arthur?" the man asked, scowling at the prince.

"He shouldn't have started running then," Arthur shot back, coming into Merlin's line of vision. "If he had just stayed put, I wouldn't have had to shoot him."

The man just sighed and rolled his eyes in exasperation. The prince knelt down, tearing away at the fabric of his shirt to remove the arrow. Merlin groaned, still in too much pain to fight back. "No," he pleaded. "Leave me alone!"

"Don't be an idiot; you're injured," the prince scolded, narrowing his eyes at him. "We're not going to eat you."

The other knights laughed, excluding the dark haired one. The prince motioned for two of them to hold him down while his hands grabbed the arrow. Ignoring Merlin's scream, he slowly removed the arrow from his shoulder, not even giving any comforting words. "We need to get him to Gaius. I don't want the wound to get infected," the prince said to the other knights. "Let's move out."

"Look sire! The thing on his shoulder!"

Merlin wearily sat up, hiding his injured shoulder from the prince. "Don't touch me!" he spat out, trying his best to appear tough. "Keep away from me!"

The prince just sighed, having no trouble in removing Merlin's hand from his shoulder. "Don't be such a girl," he grumbled but his eyes widened at the sight of his tattoo. "You're a druid?" he asked in astonishment.

Merlin gave no answer and the man with dark hair knelt down. "That is a druid symbol," he said to the prince. "Do you know what this means?"

"Of course I know what it means! I'm not stupid!"

"_If you are ever caught by a mortal, then you are bound to them till the day you die."_ His mother's voice echoed in his ears, sounding almost sorrowful. "No," he moaned, beginning to feel dizzier and dizzier. "No, no, no, no, this can't be happening!"

The prince just smiled, looking at his fellow knights. "My father will be pleased. It's not everyday someone catches a druid. Come on; up you go," he helped Merlin up, resting him over his shoulders. "Let's head back. I want to show my father what I caught!"

They headed back to their horses, Merlin lying limp on the prince's shoulder. What was his mother going to do? What was he going to do? He couldn't stay in the castle! Banned from using magic was a lifestyle he didn't want to live with. Or be slave to the son of Uther Pendragon! "Let me go," he protested, giving the prince a heated glare. "Please, let me go!"

"Oh no," the prince smiled, getting up on the horse and securing a strong arm around him. "My father will be very impressed with you. Druids are so hard to find now days."

The ride back to Camelot took less than fifteen minutes but to Merlin, it felt like hours. His shoulder throbbed, tears burning in his eyes. He wasn't going to deny that he was scared, but what could he do? He had never used his magic against people before and didn't really want to hurt anyone. Besides the prince, the others hadn't hurt him. If anything, the one with dark hair seemed really nice.

As they entered the throne room, Merlin's hands bound behind his back, two of the knights behind him pushed him onto his knees. The prince didn't even seem to care; he just walked right past him and up to the throne where the king sat, staring coldly down at Merlin. "Arthur, what is this?" he asked in a deep voice.

If anything, Arthur looked prideful as he spoke. "I caught this boy while hunting. He's a druid. I pierced his shoulder with an arrow and-"

"Barbaric."

Merlin turned his eyes to the voice, surprised to see a young woman with long, curly raven colored hair and intense green eyes. She glared at Arthur, not even scared of the prince. "You shot this poor boy with an arrow and now you're gloating about it? If you had any sense of decency you would have let him go."

"He's a druid, Morgana," Arthur replied in exasperation. "And it's a common fact that if you catch a druid, they are yours to keep."

"That doesn't mean you should!" Morgana spat back. "He has a right to freedom just like everybody else!"

"Enough, Morgana! Arthur is right, the druid boy is his to keep," Uther leaned forward in his throne, giving the woman a stern glare. He then turned his eyes to Merlin, looking at him up and down. "He seems healthy enough. As much as I hate the druids, it would be hypocritical of me to kill him. I have my own druid anyway. By keeping him here, we can reduce his use of magic."

"No!" Merlin couldn't stop the words from leaving his mouth. "I won't stop using my magic! I won't let you treat me like an object!"

He winced when Arthur smacked him on the head, his gaze dropping to the ground. "You will give your respect when talking to the king!" he growled, blue eyes blazing like fire. "Or I will have to punish you and don't think I won't."

"Get him out of my sight," the king commanded, removing himself from his throne and heading towards the door nearby. "Send him to Gaius to clean his wound up."

"Right away, Sire," Arthur picked Merlin up, taking him by the arms and leading him through the hallways. He could hear the clicking and swishing of a dress not far behind them, the steps sounding incredibly angry. When Arthur opened the door to the physician's quarters, he dumped Merlin down on one of the seats. "I will come back for you when Gaius is done patching you up. From now on, you will be my manservant. That means you will help dress me, polish my armor, clean my stables, and basically take care of anything that belongs to me. Is that clear?"

He didn't even give Merlin a chance to finish before walking out of the room, his strides long and confident. Soon after he left, the woman known as Morgana appeared, rushing to his side. She took his hands, the feeling of her hands warm against his cold ones. "I am so sorry," she said to him, her eyes looking into his gently. "If I had my way you wouldn't even be here. My name is Morgana. What is yours?"

He met her eyes slowly, giving a shy smile. "Merlin," he replied softly. "My name is Merlin."

"So Merlin is your name?" he jumped, turning around to see an old man with shoulder length white hair walk towards him, his old eyes stern, yet friendly. "I was wondering what all the fuss was about. Now I know why. Another druid has permanently entered the walls of Camelot."

Merlin narrowed his eyes. "Well it wasn't my choice to come here. If that prat of a prince hadn't caught me, I would still be with my family!"

The man held up a hand, landing it on Merlin's shoulder. "Believe me, I did not mean to anger you. Out of anyone here, I understand what it is like to be bound to someone," he ignored the confused look he got from Merlin. "I am Gaius, the court physician. For the time being or until Arthur says otherwise, you will be staying with me."

"I would rather go home," Merlin mumbled, ignoring the fact that the other two could hear him. "I need to see my mother; I need to see if she's okay!"

As he started to stand up, Morgana reached her hands out and planted him firmly on the seat. "Until I can convince the king to free you, it's best if you stay here."

He raised an eyebrow. "You would help me?"

She placed her hands on her hips, head cocked in bewilderment at what he said. "Do I look like the type of person who would sit by and let and innocent human beings be bullied by Uther?" he shook his head slowly, watching as her frown turned into a mischievous grin. "I will see if I can get you out of here. You wouldn't be the first person to be bullied by Uther or Arthur."

She closed the door behind her, leaving Gaius and Merlin alone. Merlin stared after her, blinking twice before turning to Gaius. "Who is she?" he asked. "The king's daughter?"

"His ward, actually," Gaius corrected, grabbing a brush and pasting some beige colored paste on his wound. "You're lucky Arthur knew where to shoot. If he had gone any lower he would have killed you."

"I almost wish he had," Merlin mumbled sarcastically. "I don't know what could be worse than being bound to a selfish prat like him."

"Well, being pessimistic won't change anything," Gaius reprimanded, wrapping a bandage over his shoulder. "You are stuck here and from experience, it is best to make the best of things."

"What if I try to leave?"

"Then Arthur will find you. Like it or not, you two are connected now. Though I'm not entirely sure how it works, he will know where you are and know when you are trying to break the bond," Gaius set the paste and bandages down, looking at him in the eyes. "Just stay put and do what Arthur says. If Morgana can find a way to convince Uther to let you leave, then do so. If not, don't try to leave. You're lucky to still be alive."

He sighed, knowing the old man was right. "I know," he sighed, his head beginning to throb with a headache. "I won't see my mother or friends again, will I?"

Gaius paused, staring out the nearby window and gazing down upon the villagers that were roaming about. "I can't say for certain," he began, still not looking at him. "But it would be best not to get your hopes up."

The door creaked open slowly, the head of a dark haired girl appearing. "Excuse me Gaius," she started, before her dark brown eyes landed on Merlin. "Oh? Who are you? I've never seen you around before."

Merlin gave a tentative smile. "I'm Merlin. I'm here to serve Arthur's every needs and desires," he said that last part in sarcasm, which didn't go unnoticed by the girl.

"You poor thing," she murmured, sitting down next to him. "I'm Guinevere, but everyone calls me Gwen. You're the druid boy everyone's been talking about, aren't you?"

He nodded, not even thinking of denying it. "Yes," he answered. "Unfortunately."

"Well then, while you're here, you're going to need some friends. Shall we be friends, Merlin?"

He took her hand slowly, finding to trace of cruel intentions in her voice. She seemed sweet and kind, a kind of girl that most people only meet once in their life times. In a way, she was like Freya, though Freya was nowhere near as forward as this girl. "Let's be friends," he answered back. "And I think you and I will get along just fine."

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><p><strong>Well, that was the first chapter. I really appreciate feed back, so reviews would be nice. No flames please, but everything else is fine! <strong>


	2. The First day

_**Author's note:** I was very surprised by the number of follows I received. 13 followers? And four reviews? I am so grateful that you guys took the time out to do that. I thank you all so much! This chapter is quite a bit longer than the last one, so I hope you enjoy!_

_**Warnings: **None...yet_

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin and I never will. All OCs that I might mention belong to me and will not take focus of the story_

_**Parings: **MerlinxArthur, LancelotxGuinevere, WillxFreya, UtherxIgraine(past), BalinorxHunith(past)_

_**Chapter Summary:** As Merlin starts his first day as Arthur's new manservant, he makes new friends and also learns about a truth that was hidden from him by his own people_

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><p><strong>Chapter two: The First day<strong>

True to his word, Arthur came for him soon after Gaius had bandaged him up.

Merlin had been sitting there swinging his legs beneath the bench, staring intently at the ground. Only when he heard irritated taps coming from Arthur's feet did he look up, his stomach twisting with fear. Arthur stood a few feet away from him, arms crossed and looking at him with annoyance.

"When I enter a room, you're supposed to come serve me. Not keep me waiting."

Merlin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Of course, your highness."

Arthur's lips twisted into a smile. "Now that's better. Alright then, come along!" he led Merlin through the many halls, pointing out room after room, not even stopping to let Merlin absorb it all in. Passing by the Lady Morgana's chambers, he noticed Gwen give him a sympathetic smile and then shrugged her shoulders, eyes looking at Arthur. Though he did not know her very well yet, he was touched by the small gesture of kindness. Maybe all people in Camelot weren't so bad?

"Merlin, are you even listening to me? Merlin!"

He bumped into Arthur with an oomph sound, falling to the floor without much of an excuse for gracefulness. He wasn't expecting Arthur to be so solid, but he should have seen it coming. He winced, his shoulder hitting the floor. Arthur sighed, taking him by his good arm and hoisting him up. "Are you always this clumsy?" he grumbled, dragging him to wherever. "I hope not all druids are as graceless as you are."

The reminder of the druids made his heart twist with sorrow. He could see his mother, crying and holding onto Will as she took in the news of his kidnapping. How was she going to survive without him? Or even better, how was he going to survive without her? He fought back the tears that were now forming in his eyes, wiping them away quickly before the prince could see. This man would have no sympathy for him or for anyone else for that matter.

"Here we are," Arthur threw open the doors to his chambers, Merlin following shortly behind. "This is my room. At exactly seven, you will come here, serve me breakfast, put on my clothes, and help me do the tasks that I need done during the day. You will also be in charge of cleaning my room, doing my laundry, polishing my armor, help me train and train my knights."

"So, I basically have to be stuck with you all day?" he asked in disbelief.

Arthur simply ignored him. "At noon, you will serve me lunch and then continue on with the duties I have mentioned earlier. Dinner I sometimes have in here or with my father in the dining hall at six. At each, you will be expected to bring my food and serve wine. At nine, I retire to bed and then you can go do whatever. On certain days, I will allow you to have the day off. Do we have an understanding?"

Merlin glared at the floor, refusing to meet the prince's eyes. Arthur narrowed his eyes at him, stepping forward so that their faces were only inches apart. "I said, do we have an understanding, Merlin?" he asked, his voice low and threatening.

He finally nodded and Arthur smiled again, patting him on his non-injured shoulder. "Good lad. Now we begin training."

"For what?"

"For me."

As Arthur walked away, Merlin could only mutter under his breath. "Someone just kill me now," he sighed, slowly trudging after the prince.

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><p>"Ready?"<p>

"Would it make any difference if I said no?"

"Not really."

Arthur swirled his sword for a few moments, allowing Merlin to adjust his helmet and take a fighting stance. Or something of that sort. He didn't really have an idea on who knights fought, but from watching them fight his people from time to time, he had learned that placing the shield and sword in front of you was a sort of defense. Or, so he thought.

Arthur came after him quickly, barely giving him enough time to reflect. The prince's sword banged against his shield, sending him a bit off balance. The prince thought, kept coming, swinging his sword and different directions until he brought the metal blade down on his head. "Ow!" Merlin groaned as the blade struck his head, a faint ringing sound clanging in his ears. "Can we stop now?"

"Don't be a girl's petticoat, Merlin!" Arthur growled, still swinging the sword in his hand ."I've got a tournament to win in a few days."

"Well beating your servant into a pulp isn't going to help you win."

Taking off his helmet, Merlin's eyes widened at the site at one of the knights, the dark haired one from before. Arthur nodded to the man, giving him a grin. "Lancelot!" he walked over to the knight, resting a hand on his shoulder. "What have you been up to?"

"Not much. Just helping the Lady Guine-, I mean, Gwen. I promised I would help her wash some of Lady Morgana's clothes."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Lancelot, am I hearing you correctly? Did you just agree to help Guinevere with Morgana's laundry?"

"Yes, you heard correctly."

Merlin watched in concealed amusement as a faint pink blush appeared on Lancelot's cheeks. His amusement however, disappeared once he heard Arthur laugh. "You are even more of a girl's petticoat than Merlin. You're a knight! Why should you have to do laundry?"

Lancelot's expression darkened slightly but Arthur seemed oblivious to it. "Not all of us were born to a life of privilege, Arthur," he mumbled before stepping over to Merlin, giving him a kind smile. "You're holding the sword too tightly. If you loosen it up like this, then it will be easier to control its movements."

Lancelot's hands were firm and gentle against his as he loosened the tension in his knuckles. "Give it a try," the knight whispered, nudging Merlin forward. "No one expects you to be perfect."

Arthur swung his sword menacingly, his eyes holding a haughty look in them. Merlin gulped, trying to remember what Lancelot said to him. _"Just keep calm," _he said to himself, trying to calm his beating heart. _"Arthur won't kill you; he just caught you. I doubt he's one to quickly destroy his things."_ The last bit was bitterly sarcastic, but he found that he didn't care.

Arthur swung at him, the impact of the blade against his knocking him to his feet. He flushed a furious red as Arthur laughed, wanting nothing more than to dissolve into the grass and hide. He winced again, his injured shoulder throbbing from the impact of the ground. He cautiously moved his shoulder, gasping out loud as he felt one of the stitches pull and snap loose.

Lancelot appeared to be the only one who noticed. Immediately, he knelt down to his side, looking at him in the eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked in a concerned tone. "Do you want me to go get Gaius?"

"No!" he protested, trying to ignore the laughter of Arthur's voice. "I just want this training to be over with. I'm not cut out for sword fighting."

"I think we can both agree on that," Lancelot teased and to Merlin's surprise, he didn't feel offended by it. As Lancelot stood up, he reached out a hand and he took it, allowing the knight to help him up. Turning to a still laughing Arthur, he narrowed his eyes. "Do you mind if I take your servant with me to help with the laundry?"

Arthur waved his hand, wiping a tear from his face. "Go ahead," he breathed, trying to catch his breath. "I need to go back to training the knights anyway. I expect you at my quarters at six, Merlin."

With that, the prince turned away and marched over to where the younger knights were gathering. Merlin just scowled after him, one word forming on his lips. "Prat," he growled. "Stupid, arrogant prat!"

Lancelot just grinned, motioning for him to follow. "He's not so bad. He really is a good person," he apparently noticed the doubtful look on Merlin's face. "Really, he is. Maybe if you two had met on better circumstances you would see it."

"Or if I didn't have magic."

Lancelot nodded awkwardly. "Or if you didn't have magic."

The rest of the walk was in silence, the two of them not quite knowing what to say until they reached the washing quarters of the palace, Gwen waiting for them with three baskets of dresses. "Lancelot!" she called out, walking quickly towards the knight. Lancelot's calm face broke out into a grin. Taking Gwen's hand, he brought it to his lips gently.

"My lady," he replied, holding his hand in hers. "I have brought more help."

"Merlin!" Gwen smiled sweetly, though it soon faded as she studied him harder. "There is dirt all over your face. Arthur is over working you, is he?"

"It was just sword fighting," he replied, wiping off some of the dirt in his face. "Apparently I'm no good at it, according to Arthur anyway."

Gwen just shook her head, her lips pursed in disproval. "He really is an arrogant man," she grumbled, her tone less than pleasant. "One day someone is going to stand up to him and tell him that how he treats people is not acceptable."

"Maybe it will be you," Lancelot grinned, grabbing a dress and placing it in the bucket of washing water. "Though I'm not sure how well that will go over with him."

"Oh it won't be me, I assure you," Gwen replied, giving him a smile. "It will be Merlin."

Merlin stepped back, looking at the dark skinned girl in surprise. "Me?" he asked, wondering where on earth she got this idea from. "Why me?"

Gwen gave him an even look. "You two are bound together by ancient magic laws, or, something of that sort," she looked troubled while saying that, as if she didn't know exactly how to form it. "If anyone can tell him off, it would be you."

Merlin just snorted. "And that wouldn't go over very well either. He'd put me in the stocks," he shivered at the second thought that crossed his mind. "Or worse, he'd have me executed."

"Well, we wouldn't let that happen," Gwen placed a small hand on his arm. "Nor would the Lady Morgana or Gaius, for that matter."

Merlin had to smile at that. "I thought all people in Camelot were bad, after the way they treated my father and mother," he stared at the soap that was in his hands, washing the emerald green dress in his hands. "My people don't have a very high opinion of the rulers of Camelot."

"And the king doesn't have a very high opinion of your people," Lancelot replied, not looking in Merlin's eyes. "Again, I don't mean offense by it; I'm just stating a fact."

Gwen just shook her head. "I believe the persecution is wrong, and I know the Lady Morgana believes it is wrong as well. She seems to have such an attachment to druids and other magic users," she paused, shaking her head again. "I don't know. All I believe is that if they're not bothering anyone, then they should be allowed to live in peace."

Lancelot nodded. "I agree," he glanced at Merlin. "I don't care about magic one way or another. As long as they're using it for good, then they are okay in my book."

Gwen turned to him, setting down one of the dresses she was holding. "So, do you have family, Merlin?" she asked, changing the subject. Her face fell soon afterwards after noticing the tense look on his face. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to intrude. How thoughtless of me."

Merlin just shrugged. "It's okay. I like you guys," he noticed Lancelot give a smile, the man not looking up from his washing. "I live in a small group of druids with my mother and friend Will."

"Is your mother a druid?" Lancelot asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"No," he responded. "Neither is Will. My father had magic though, but I never knew him. He disappeared a few months before I was born. We found Will when I was five, rummaging through our supplies. He was so thin and sickly that we just had to take him in. He's been living with my mother and I ever since. Basically, he's my adopted brother."

"You must miss them terribly," Gwen mused sympathetically. "But I do know that Morgana is right now trying to convince Uther to allow you to return to them. And believe me; she will fight to get what she wants."

Merlin laughed, not at all surprised. "So, what are your families like?" he asked.

The smile on Gwen's face fell, her eyes immediately dropping down to her wash. "My mother died when I was ten years old and my brother left shortly afterwards. He's four years older than I am, but we were very close up until she died. My father," she paused, sorrow filling her eyes. "My father was executed a month ago."

Merlin couldn't help his jaw from dropping. "I…I am so sorry," he blurted out, shame and embarrassment filling his heart. "I didn't mean to pry like that. I just thought since I shared a little about me that-"

"It's okay," Gwen cut off, the smile returning. "It's not like you knew; how could you? He was executed for helping someone with magic. But he didn't know that the man had magic and they were both caught. My father wasn't even given a fair trial. He was executed the next morning. Morgana and Arthur both tried to reason with him, but Uther's mind was made up. I'm sure you know how he is."

"Wait a minute. You said _Arthur_ tried to reason with Uther," he shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe that."

"But it's true," Lancelot spoke up. "I was there. Both Arthur and Morgana both spoke up for Tom's defense and even though it was in vain, at least they both tried. Arthur's true colors really shone that day. That's why I said he was a good man, even if he can be an arrogant prat."

"Uther even threw Morgana in the dungeon that day," Gwen added. "She was so furious that she almost hit him and Uther threw her in the dungeon for it. If it hadn't been for Arthur, she would have been stuck in there for even longer."

Merlin just shook his head defiantly. "I just can't believe that he is a good man. Any man who would keep someone unwillingly in their possession is bad. I refuse to believe he is good."

Gwen merely shrugged. "Well, we won't force our beliefs on you. After what you've gone through, I can't blame you for thinking that way."

After she spoke, no one said anything for a long while.

* * *

><p>As Merlin brought the food from the kitchen to Arthur's room, he found it a bit strange to see that there we two plates instead of one. At first, he assumed that Arthur was a greedy pig, but as he opened the door, he couldn't help the relieved and overjoyed smile that broke out onto his face.<p>

"Morgana!" he cried out, setting both plates on the table. "I didn't expect for you to be here."

"That's Lady Morgana to you," Arthur scolded, glaring at him from the other side of the table. "You will show her the proper respect."

"Oh hush Arthur, he can call me Morgana if he wants to," Morgana snapped, quickly coming to Merlin's defense. "I like him, so he can call me whatever he wants."

"Whatever."

Merlin set both plates in front of them, stepping back with the wine pitcher in his hands. While the two royals ate, he couldn't help but notice how they acted around each other. They were like brother and sister, sending playful and menacing banter across the table that made him grin. In a way, it was like him and Will back home.

The painful ache in his heart rounded up again.

"Merlin? Merlin, are you even listening to me? Merlin!"

He snapped back to reality, almost wincing at the angry glare that was emitting from Arthur's face. The blonde leaned forward in his seat, fingers tapping with impatience in the armrests. "Are you done daydreaming like a stupid girl? 'Cause if you are, I would like some more wine."

"Yes, sire," he replied back, the wine pitcher feeling even heavier in his hands for some reason. In fact, his whole body began to feel even heavier. The world was beginning to spin around him, his stomach rolling.

"Arthur!" he heard Morgana snap. "Must you be so rude to your servants? You are no better than Uther!"

"Don't compare me to my father, Morgana!"

"I will compare you however I want! You are acting like a cruel pig!"

"A pig? Is that the best you could come up with?"

He set the wine pitcher down, taking in a deep breath of air. The pain in his shoulder throbbed even harder and the spinning was becoming even worse.

"Merlin?" he heard Morgana ask, her tone now concerned. "Merlin, what's wrong? You look pale."

He felt her appear at his side, pressing a hand to steady him. Immediately, she pulled his brown cloth jacket off, taking in a sharp intake of air. "My god, Arthur, he's bleeding!"

"What?" Arthur asked, now at his side. "Where?"

"His shoulder. I think he pulled a stich, no, he's pulled three stitches!"

He could see Arthur run a hand through his hair, the prince not looking so good himself. "It must have happened during training…I completely forgot about his injury."

If looks could kill, Arthur would have been dead on the spot. "You are a careless idiot, Arthur Pendragon!" she shouted, wrapping an arm around Merlin. "You hurt him without thought or care. What king are you going to be like if you completely disregard your servants like this?"

"I…"

"Exactly. Now, make yourself useful and help me take him to Gaius!" she looked him in the eyes. "Don't worry Merlin; I'll make sure you're alright. I won't let you die on me!"

* * *

><p>"<em>Merlin….."<em>

Merlin twitched, eyes fluttering at the noise that filled his mind as he slept. _"Merlin…..wake up…..find me, Merlin…."_

"_Who are you?"_ he asked back. _"How do you know my name?"_

"_Find me, Merlin…."_

"Merlin?"

Merlin shot up from his bed, looking at Gaius with wide dark blue eyes. Without warning, he felt his eyes flash gold, telepathically moving a heavy book from the shelf and smacking it into Gaius. The old man yelped, catching the book with both hands and stumbling back. "Merlin, it's just me!" the old man yelled. "Calm down!"

"Gaius?" he asked, his heart beat calming. "What…what happened?"

"You pulled out three of your stitches, thus opening up your wound. You've lost some blood, so I suggest taking it easy for the next few days. If it wasn't for the Lady Morgana, it would have been much more serious," Gaius sat down on the bed next to him, looking into his eyes sternly. "You have to be careful with your magic. Even though you are bound to Arthur, magic is still banned."

"I didn't mean to!" he shot back. "It just…happened."

Gaius nodded. "I thought that might be the case," he stood up, completely ignoring the confused look he got from Merlin. "I have something I want to give you."

"What?"

Gaius took a key from his robes, opening a small black trunk and opening a small brown bound book. He placed it in Merlin's lap, giving a faint smile. "This is a book of spells," he held up a hand, interrupting Merlin. "Like you, I am bound to someone in the court. I have recently found my old spell book and although I no longer use my magic, I know what it is like to be separated from it. That's why I want you to practice it in _secret."_

Merlin took the book, studying it carefully. "But…why?"

"Because I know who you are. The druids call you Emrys, do they not?"

He flinched at the mention of the title. "Yes," he admitted with defeat. "But they never have explained to me why. I thought that it was just a name they handed down to certain people."

Gaius shook his head, giving him a look that reminded him of pity. "No," Gaius said in an ominous tone. "Emrys is the title of the one who is destined to bring magic back to Camelot, one destined to be a great sorcerer. There is no one else with that title but you and you alone."

Merlin shook his head. "That can't be right! I only know a few things about magic, like healing and stuff. I can't be some great and powerful sorcerer."

Gaius simply frowned. "I am telling you the truth, Merlin. You were destined to be caught by Arthur."

"What?"

"As Emrys, it is your destiny to one day bring magic back to Camelot under Arthur's rule. It is your destiny to protect and serve Arthur to the best of your abilities to make sure that magic comes back to Camelot. Your destiny, and Arthur's destiny, are entwined."

"No," Merlin's face paled, feeling sickened by all this new information. "This can't be true! You're lying!"

"Merlin-"

"NO!" he shouted, jumping off his bed and towards the door. "I won't take this anymore! I won't serve that arrogant prat! If anything, I want to go home to my mother and friends!"

"Merlin!" Gaius protested. "If you try to leave, Arthur will catch you! That's how a binding works."

Merlin paused by the doorway, giving Gaius a frosty look. "Then Arthur will just have to try to catch me."

Before Gaius could even stop him, he was out the door and past the walls of Camelot, never feeling freer in his entire life.

* * *

><p><strong>Dunh, dunh, dunh! Will Merlin escape from Arthur? Or will Arthur catch him? Well, you'll just have to wait and see. I'm not quite sure if that would be Gwen's reaction to magic, but I see her as the live and let live kind of person. She is nice like that, isn't she? Well, read and review guys!<strong>


	3. The Chase

_**Author's note: **So hey everyone! I hope you have been enjoying the story so far! I love all the support I've been getting, but there is something I would like to ask all of you. When you review, could you be more specific in what you liked or didn't like? I'm not being ungrateful, but just saying you liked it kind of makes me feel you didn't really read it. So, if maybe you can point out what you liked or what you thought sounded good would be a lot of help._

_**Warnings:** None_

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own the sandbox. I just jump the fence to play in it_

_**Pairings:** ArthurxMerlin, LancelotxGuinevere, WillxFreya, UtherxIgraine, BalinorxHunith_

_**Chapter Summary:** As Merlin escapes the castle, Arthur is hot on his tale and while running, he comes across a dear friend._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter three: The Chase<strong>

**(Arthur's p.o.v)**

Arthur had awoken from a deep sleep by a sharp pain in his heart. Gasping as he woke up, he placed a hand over his heart, hoping the sharp stab of pain would reside soon. Unfortunately, it only grew worse with each beat. He grinded his teeth, getting out of his bed and over to where his boots were lying. He strapped them on, pulling on a shirt over his bare chest.

"Maybe Gaius will have an answer," he muttered as he walked towards the door. "It's not like he won't have an answer or anything."

Before he could even reach the door knob, the man he was looking for appeared looking breathy and upset. "I'm sorry your highness, but this is important," he breezed through the apology, not looking sorry for barging in. "Merlin has escaped the castle."

"What?"

Gaius nodded, resting his old hand on the door. "You must find him. There are dangerous creatures that come out during the night and even though he has magic, there is still a lot he doesn't know."

Arthur inhaled sharply, anger bubbling in his chest. "And why did he leave? Who gave him the permission to leave?"

"No one. He…" Gaius trailed off, looking rather uncomfortable."

"Yes?" he asked, his boring down remorselessly at the old man. "He what?"

"He ran away."

"HE WHAT?"

"Yes sire, he ran away."

Immediately, his feet began to move without him telling them to. He grabbed sword, strapping it around his belt and heading towards the doors. Gaius trailed after him, looking extremely concerned and worried. "What are you going to do, sire?"

Arthur paused, turning his head over his shoulder as he spoke. "I'm going to go get my druid."

As he walked away, Gaius sighed and muttered. "You mean your trophy."

* * *

><p><strong>(Merlin's p.o.v)<strong>

"_Freya….Mordred….Alator….Is anyone there?"_

Merlin called out through his mind as he ran through the dark forest, the moon being the only light to guide him through the night. So far, there was no answer, only silence. He gulped another breath of air, the night air sharp against his lungs. He wouldn't be surprised if his lips turned blue; it was almost autumn after all.

"_Will someone answer me? Please? Anybody?"_

He let out a yelp as he tripped over a rather large tree root, throwing his arms out to catch himself. He groaned as a leaf nearly poked him in the eye, but that was the least of his problems. From a distance, he could see the glowing embers of a fire only a few feet away. Wearily, he stood up and slowly advanced towards the fire site.

Hiding behind a large oak tree, he observed the scene before him. A group of seven men, a few of them drunk. Two of them laughed in a raunchy way, clanging their mead bottles together before taking a gulp. One man stood out at the edge, standing guard though it didn't look like it was going very well. Along with the others, he was just as drunk.

The thing that caught his eye, however, was the boy tied up next to them, his eyes cast down to the ground.

"Will," he whispered. "What happened to you?"

As if sensing his eyes, Will looked up and his eyes widened at the sight of his friend. "Merlin," he mouthed, but one look from his captor's shut him up. The man glared at him, his beady eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Who were you talking to, boy?" he asked. "Brock, go check out the area!"

The man, Brock, stood up on wobbly legs and slowly headed over to where Merlin was. Not at all worried, Merlin's eyes flashed gold and he made a tree branch fly over to the opposite side of the forest. Brock jumped, waddling over to the other side of the forest. "I heard something, boss!" he called out. "Here it is!"

The leader of the group, a decent looking man with sleeked black hair stood up. He quickly strode over to his friend, looking down to what Brock was pointing at and scowled. With a quick hand he slapped the man on the back of his bald head. "You idiot!" he snarled. "You got me up just to deal with a tree branch?!"

"I'm sorry, Devon!"

"What was that?"

"I mean sir!"

The man, Devon, smirked. "Keep looking. I'm sure that our little friend would love to join us, don't you think?"

Brock cocked his head. "But boss, we can't find him."

"You just keep looking over there. I'm sure he'll turn up soon," Devon walked away to the fire, rubbing his hands over it. "And maybe, someone as thick headed as you will find it."

Merlin couldn't help but scowl at what he said. If this man was his friend, why would he talk to him that way? Sure he and Will teased each other, but they would never talk to each other in such a condescending tone. He looked back to Will, noticing that the boy's eyes were glancing at him every now and then. His lips kept twitching, the corners flattening out as he whispered something to him, something that sounded like: Go!

Go? Why would Will want him to go? Didn't he want to be saved? _"No!" _he mouthed back, shaking his head in confusion. _"I'll free you!"_

"_Merlin, run!"_

"Boo!"

Before he could even let out a scream, a hand clamped around his mouth, silencing any scream that would have come out. The men jeered at him as Devon brought him in front of the camp, laughing even harder as Devon forced him to his knees. Will looked at him with angry and frightened eyes, fighting against his binds furiously.

"Well look here, men," Devon began, arrogance lining in his tone. "It seems our little friend has decided to join us."

He pressed a cold hand on Merlin's head, twisting his long fingers in Merlin's hair. Merlin hissed as the man gave a painfully hard tug on his dark locks. "Let me and my friend go," he began, trying to remain calm. "And I won't hurt you."

Devon barked a laugh, glancing around at his men. "Did you hear that, men?" he asked, though it sounded like more of a sneer. "The boy thinks that he can take us on! Isn't that adorable?" the fingers became more gentle, trailing down his face. He tilted his head up, running his fingers over his face. "He's quite pretty though," Devon's thumb traced over his lower lip. "He'll sell quite nicely."

"You can't do this! The Prince won't allow it!"

Devon only grinned. "What will the little prince do? He doesn't even know that I, Devon the slave trader, is here in Camelot."

"I'm a druid! I will use my magic on you!"

The men laughed and elbowed each other, looking at him with hungry eyes. Merlin gulped, trying to fight the panic that was rising in his chest. He whispered something under his breath, eyes flashing gold. Within an instant, Devon and his men were slammed against a tree, falling to the ground in a painful crunch. A few of the men were knocked out cold, though Devon and three others groaned, slowly beginning to stand up. Whispering the same words again, he made them trip over their own feet and fall on their faces.

"Merlin!"

Will hurried towards him, hands still bound. Taking one of the knives, Merlin easily cut through the rope and let the knife fall from his hands. "We need to get out of here," he started, breaking into a run with Will at his side. "What were you even doing with those men?"

Will shot him an incredulous look. "Me? I should be asking how you got away from Arthur. I heard from Freya that you were kidnapped by him!"

Merlin nodded, glancing over his shoulder to make sure the men were not after him. Strangely, the campsite was completely quiet. He shook his head, his legs begging him to stop running. "I got away while he was sleeping. I refuse to leave you and mother just to be some trophy to a spoiled prat!"

Will grinned. "I was out looking for you with Freya when we stumbled across the slave traders. They caught Freya, but I freed her and they caught me instead. Good thing that you found me, right?"

He nodded, the uneasiness still in his stomach. "I need you to do something for me, Will," he started, slowing down and coming to a stop. "I need you to go back to the camp, without me."

"What?!"

"Just hear me out," he pressed on, not allowing his friend to continue. "If what the ancient laws say is true, then Arthur will always know where to find me. If I go back to camp, then Arthur and his knights will find it and you will all be killed!"

Will frowned. "Then what are you saying?" he asked. "Are you saying you will never come home again?"

He paused, giving a sad smile to his friend. "For now, no. I couldn't bear it if you were all captured because of me. I have to leave Camelot, find someone who can reverse the binding. There has to be someone or something that can destroy it."

"And if not?" Will looked doubtful, blue eyes narrowed. "Then what? Will you crawl back to Arthur and beg for him to take you back?"

Merlin shook his head. "No. I refuse to live the rest of my life as the prince's slave. Didn't I say that earlier?" he gave a sad smile. "If I can't find someone, then I'll keep running. Even if I have to run from him my whole life."

"Merlin, that's no life for anyone!"

"And being a trophy to someone is?"

Will sighed, sounding annoyed and frustrated. "I just…I just can't imagine living a life without you!" he crossed his arms, glaring at the ground. "You were going to show up at me and Freya's wedding one day! We were all going to grow old together!"

Merlin gripped his arm firmly. "Things change," he reminded his friend. "But, maybe I'll still be able to show up? At least, for a while."

Will didn't meet his eyes, but a smile twitched on his lips. "Freya said she was going to put yellow flowers in her hair. She and the other women almost done with her dress."

"She'll be beautiful; that much is certain."

"But she'll be upset if you're not there. It will break her heart."

"Then I will just have to try and break the binding," he gave a small grin. "And then be at you and Freya's wedding as a free man."

"MERLIN!"

They both jumped at the sound of a voice calling in the distance, the hairs on their bodies rising. "Go," Merlin said, letting go of Will's arm. "Go before he catches you too!"

"But-"

"If he catches you, I will never forgive you for breaking Freya's heart. Go!" he was surprised as Will wrapped his arms around him in a hug, knowing that Will was never this touchy unless he was with Freya.

Will wiped away a tear that had formed in his eyes. "I'll tell Mother that you are okay and tell her everything you told me," he hugged him tight. "I'll see you again, so don't you fail, okay?"

"Goodbye, Will."

He watched as Will slowly drew away, looking regretful as he ran away in the darkness. With a heavy heart, he turned towards the south, hoping that Will got away with not too much trouble. If Will was captured, he didn't think his mother could live with the fact she lost two sons in almost two days.

"Oh Merlin, where are you?" a sing song voice came, not sounding very threatening. "You know you can't hide from me."

"So you think," he muttered, pressing up against a tree. Much to his dismay, Arthur appeared in the clearing, somehow sensing that he was here. "Curse this bond!" he hissed as quietly as he good.

Arthur walked around in a circle, the look of pure ease caressing his sun kissed face. "Hm, now if I were Merlin, where would I hide?" the prince looked behind a tree. "Not over here," he turned to another tree. "Not over there."

"_He's toying with me,"_ a panicked voice called in his mind. _"He knows exactly where I am!"_

As the crunching sound of Arthur's footsteps drew near, he tore himself away from the tree. He ran as far as his long legs could go, the pain in his wounded shoulder giving a dull ache. He tried not to put strain on it, but all the running was beginning to take its toll. He had to get away from Arthur, he just had to!

THUMP!

Arthur's body slammed into his; the prince grabbing his wrist and twisting it behind his back painfully. He winced, though Arthur seemed not to mind. "What were you thinking?" the prince snapped angrily. "Sneaking out into the night where there are all sorts of people and creatures!"

"I won't be your trophy!" Merlin snapped back, continuing to struggle. "I want to go home! I want to see my mother!"

Arthur just sighed, the anger seeming to temporarily leave. "We are bound together, Merlin. I _can't _let you leave."

"Can't or won't?"

Arthur didn't answer, he just dragged him away towards his horse which was tied to a tree not too far away. He paled at the sight of the campsite, noticing that the slave trader's bodies were lying on the grounds lifelessly. "What did you do?" Merlin asked. "You killed them?"

Arthur nodded gravely, still not meeting his eyes. "I found a cage full of children nearby. I sent Sir Leon and Sir Lancelot back with them. They will be safe in Camelot."

He was surprised at the act of the prince's kindness. "So you will let the children go free, but you won't let me?"

Arthur sighed in exasperation, placing Merlin on his horse, keeping a steady hand on him so he wouldn't jump off. "Even if I wanted to free you, I wouldn't know how," he got on the horse behind him, his chest pressed up hard against his back. "Don't try to escape again, _Merlin, _and we won't have problems."

Merlin didn't say anything, he just glared off into the distance. He heard Arthur mutter something about him being a girl, but he ignored that. As he dropped him off in Gaius' quarters, he grabbed him by his narrow shoulders, glaring deep into his eyes. "If you ever try to escape me again," the prince hissed. "I won't be as merciful as I was today."

He released Merlin, taking off into the hallway with his footsteps echoing with each step. Gaius closed the door firmly, giving Merlin a face that reminded him of his mother when she was lecturing him. "You should listen to him," the old man advised. "Unlike Uther, Arthur more lenient."

"I don't care," he grumbled, heading to where his bed was. "I won't listen to him."

"Then you should listen to the king. Because tomorrow, you have to go meet him."

"Why?"

"For your punishment."

* * *

><p><strong>You guys know what to do! I would really like some more reviews, so write some down! Gosh, Arthur was being a little dark back there, but that will change. The next chapter, just to give you a warning, will be kind of dark. But I'm not giving any more spoilers! Ta ta for now!<strong>


	4. The Punishment

_**Author's note: **Yup, I'm back again! Wow, twenty-one of you guys have favorite this already? And Thirty-two have followed? Wow! All I can say is thank you for taking the time out and reading this. There won't be any romance for a long while, but we still have Gwen and Lance, right? Oh, and Freya and Will too. I hope you all are enjoying this, so have some freed chocolate chip cookies *tosses cookie to everyone*_

_**Warnings: **__Public punishment, blood_

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin and never will. The OCs I create will not take control of the whole story_

_**Pairings: **MerlinxArthur, GuineverexLancelot, WillxFreya, YgrainexUther, BalinorxHunith_

_**Chapter Summary:** Merlin faces the consequences of running away the previous night._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter four: The Punishment<strong>

The thumping of his beating heart kept him awake all night.

Merlin tossed over in his bed, laying an arm over his eyes to block out the rays of the morning sun. From his room, he could hear Gaius walking around; the sounds of dishes clattering and the smell of porridge wafting in from the fire dragged his body out of bed. As he walked down the stairs, he could see the old man stirring the porridge with a book in his other hand, spectacles lying on the bridge of his nose.

"Ah, Merlin," he greeted serenely. "Good to see you're awake."

Merlin walked over to the bench, sitting down and pouring himself a cup of tea. "When do I have to meet the king?" he asked, eyes downcast as he spoke. "And what exactly is my punishment?"

"After breakfast," Gaius answered, scooping some porridge into a bowl and setting it down in front of him. "And I don't know what the punishment will be but I assure you, the king is very upset with you."

"Great," he mumbled, dark blue eyes flashing with annoyance. He put some porridge onto a spoon, putting the bland contents in his mouth. "A lecture. Just what I look forward to."

"It may not be a lecture, so when he does talk to you, show the proper respect."

Merlin lifted his eyes up, chewing on the contents in his mouth methodically. "Why should I?" he asked after swallowing, glaring up at the older man. "He's shown me no kindness or sympathy."

"Because he is your king. One day Arthur will rule but until then you must show respect to Uther," Gaius sighed, sitting down across from him. "I know you and Arthur…don't see eye to eye."

"Yes, because everyone who is kidnapped will become best friends with their kidnapper." he muttered sarcastically, but a pointed look from Gaius shut him up.

"None the less, you must accept that you and Arthur have a similar destiny."

"I'm not going to accept anything! Maybe when he learns to stop being such a clotpole then I'll accept it."

"A what?"

He flushed. "Never mind," he groaned, shoving more porridge in his mouth. They both ate in terse silence for a moment before someone knocked on the door. Gaius stood up, wiping his hands on a cloth before opening the door.

"Lady Morgana! What can I help you with?"

Merlin dropped his attention on his food, taken by surprised with Morgana's sudden entrance. She looked tired, very tired. Dark shadows had formed under her eyes and she looked very frightened about something. "I had a nightmare last night," she answered softly, looking at Gaius with exhausted eyes. "I haven't been sleeping well these past few nights."

Gaius fumbled around the tables for a bit, picking up vials of different kinds and setting them down. "You haven't had a nightmare in a while," he began in an almost worried tone. "What happened in it?"

Morgana let out a deep sigh. "I'm…not really sure," she sounded very troubled. "I couldn't see what was happening, but I could feel it. Someone was getting hurt; whipped I think. And I didn't see who it was. What if it was someone I know? What if-"

"Morgana," Gaius interrupted. "It was only a dream. That's what nightmares are."

Morgana looked at him in disbelief. "Are you sure you don't know what's wrong with me? Why do I have these dreams?"

Gaius picked up a dark blue vial. "Trauma from the past. You did lose your father at a very young age," he placed the vial in her hands gently. "One day you will overcome these dreams and find peace. You'll see."

She looked like she wanted to say more, but a call from someone in the distance distracted her. She nodded to them, giving Merlin a large smile and walked out the door. Once the door was closed, Merlin rounded on him. "Nightmares?" he asked. "Morgana has nightmares?"

"Yes," Gaius answered shortly. "She's had them since she were a girl."

"Maybe I could help! I do know some healing spells that-"

"Merlin!" Gaius interrupted, dark eyes giving off a warning. "Do not pry into matters that do not concern you. The Lady Morgana has enough problems; she doesn't need you prying into her personal affairs."

"Fine," he grumbled. "I'll keep quiet then."

"Good."

Another knock sounded at the door and much to Merlin's annoyance, it was one of the knights. "The King requests your presence," he said to Merlin. "Immediately."

Casting Gaius a nervous look, he stood up from the bench and followed the knight out the door. The walk was so unbearably tense, he felt the urge to just break into a run and just leave the castle and hide, though he imagined that Arthur and Uther would be less than happy to catch him. Again.

The knight opened the door to the throne room, ushering Merlin inside. Uther was in his throne, Morgana sitting next to him. She cast him a smile, but one look from Uther made the smile turn into a thin line. Arthur stood in front of the king, his back turned to Merlin. The only time he even acknowledged his presence was when he addressed the king.

"Father," the prince began. "Now that Merlin has arrived, what would you like to speak with us about?"

Merlin's heart gave an extra thump. _"He doesn't know I'm being punished!"_ he exclaimed to himself, looking at Arthur's innocent expression. _"How will he even react once he finds out?"_

Uther looked at him, not answering his son's question for a few seconds. Eventually, he sat up straighter, observing the two of them with cold eyes. "Last evening, your druid escaped from the castle. You've only had him for one day and already, he is proving to be quite to the troubled young man."

"Sir," Arthur stepped forward quietly, his shoes barely making a sound on the floor. "Merlin was only feeling homesick. He wanted to see his family and-"

"Be that as it may, he still has caused trouble. As his owner, you are in charge of making sure he does not run around and cause trouble for me and my knights."

Owner? Arthur, his owner? Merlin felt anger boil in his chest and instinctively he felt magic stir. Clenching his hands into fists and grinding his teeth, he tried to regain a calm composure as the king continued speaking. Arthur only looked at his father in disbelief, glancing every so often at Morgana, who was unusually silent.

"Father," Arthur pressed on. "I will make sure that Merlin does not run around like that again. I have already spoken with him and he says that he will not do it again, right Merlin?"

He jumped a little, noticing Arthur's eyes on him. The prince's gaze bore into his, the eyes rivaling that of the ocean on a stormy day. In a way, it was as if his eyes were telling him to just agree with what he was saying. "Yes," he replied, remembering to keep his head bowed. "I am very sorry for what I did. I promise not to do it again."

Uther nodded, still looking grave and poised. "Then we will proceed to our next matter of business. Guard!" the door opened, revealing the executioner. Arthur immediately faced his father, his face horrified.

"Father, he just made one mistake! He doesn't deserve to die!"

"Arthur is right!" Morgana quipped in, glaring at the king frostily. "So he made one mistake; that shouldn't cost him his life! He just wanted to see his family!"

"Quiet, both of you!" Uther snapped, giving both of them a look that dared them to challenge him. "I'm not going to kill him. Lord knows how many times druids will try to escape their masters. No, I'm going to have you punish him, Arthur."

Arthur stepped backwards, taken aback. "What?"

"He is your druid, so you must punish him."

Arthur wet his lips, glancing between Merlin and his father. "I really think he learned his lesson, sire," he was speaking formally now, not once ounce of admiration in his eyes towards his father. "I am very sure he won't do it again."

Uther just glared at him. "You will punish him, Arthur. If a future king does not declare his dominance over his subjects, then how will they learn to respect him?"

"Arthur, don't do this!" Morgana pleaded. "If you do this, then you won't earn his respect or trust!"

"Morgana, leave!" Uther turned to her, their eyes strikingly similar. "What will be happening here is not for the eyes of a young woman. Now, get out of here or I will have the guards escort you to your room and lock you in there for the rest of the day!"

Morgana just stood up, storming out of the room in cold fury. Merlin could feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise at the sound of her hair footsteps echoing away in the distance, though that was soon replaced by the executioner putting a whip in Arthur's hands. Arthur stared at the whip with solemn eyes, looking terribly conflicted. "Father," he started hoarsely. "I…I cannot do this. I promise to keep better track of him, I swear!"

"You will do it! If you do not, then I will do it myself!"

"No!"

Uther rose from his throne, towering over his only child. "You dare challenge me, _boy_?" he sneered, his eyes lowering on his son with cruel intent. "If you refuse to do this, then it just shows me that you are unworthy of being king. How can I trust you to keep hold of your people if you can't even control your own druid?"

Merlin stared at the two of them, his heart hammering in his chest. Arthur was…defending him? Arthur, the same Arthur who laughed at him, kidnapped him, and mocked him, was now defending him? This couldn't be possible! He was a prat! An arrogant, selfish, prat! Yet, the look in Arthur's eyes reminded him of how he looked yesterday, when he found out he was the reason that some of his stiches had been pulled. There had been guilt and remorse in his eyes, as if he were truly sorry for what he had done.

Could it be that perhaps Gwen, Gaius, and Lancelot were right? That behind Arthur's arrogance and selfishness, that there was a truly good man behind the rough exterior?

He winced as Arthur turned towards him, a tiny trace of fear rising in his eyes. _"He really doesn't want to do this," _his mind muttered to him. _"He just wants to make his father proud; to have reassurance that he will still love him. Would I do the same thing if my mother asked me to do this?"_

He yelped, feeling the executioner pull off his jacket and shirt, exposing his back to the cold morning air. His wrists were bound and he let himself be dragged over to where one of the columns was standing, the man tying the rope around it. He felt nausea build up in what was about to come, squeezing his eyes shut. He wouldn't watch, no, he couldn't' watch what was about to happen.

"I'm sorry."

He opened his eyes the minute the first lash fell. He couldn't stop the scream that erupted from his lips, his hands clenching on the marble column his wrists were tied to. He couldn't see Arthur; he didn't even want to see the Prince. All he could focus on was the red hot pain searing down his back and the pain that was lodging itself in his heart. The pain in his heart wasn't his, which was for sure. He could feel Arthur's pain. With every pulse, he could feel the shame and guilt coursing off Arthur's body and into his.

_Two…_

The second lash hurt just as worse and marks on his back were becoming red

_Three, Four, Five,_

By this point in time, the marks were a violent and angry red. He could feel blood bubbling up in the wounds, smearing his back.

_Six, Seven, Eight, Nine,_

His back was on fire. Blood was dripping onto the floor and his stomach felt queasy. He could hear Arthur's ragged breathing, knowing full well the Prince was not comfortable with this.

_Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,_

The blows were becoming harder now, each lash digging into his spine. He cried, and even though he felt embarrassed by it, he wouldn't stop it. He sobbed, but he knew that begging would be completely useless.

_Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen,_

His field of vision was becoming hazy.

_Eighteen,_

There was blood forming on his lips from biting his lips so hard as to prevent him from more screaming.

_Nineteen,_

He could see stars in front of his eyes and the world was becoming foggier by the minute.

_Twenty._

By the twentieth blow, he completely lost consciousness.

"Is he going to be okay, Gaius?"

* * *

><p>"He will. He was immediately brought here after the whipping, so I quickly disinfected the wounds. He should be okay."<p>

He opened his eyes slowly, the faces of Gaius and Gwen coming into his field of vision. He began to sit up, but Gwen's hands pushed him down gently. "Don't move too much just yet," she advised sadly. "Your wounds are going to be hurting for a few days. It would be best not to do anything to strenuous."

"How did I get-"

"Arthur brought you," Gaius finished. "I've never seen him look so upset. He left as soon as he delivered you here."

"Of course," Merlin muttered darkly. "He wouldn't' take any responsibility for his actions."

Gwen just sighed, her hand placed gently over his. "I came as quickly as I could. Morgana told me what happened and I knew Gaius was going to need help," her eyes narrowed at the reminder of what happened. "I will let you know that Morgana is furious. She was pacing back and forth in her chambers and even I couldn't' calm her down. I believe she is arguing with the king."

"Tell her I said thank you," Merlin mumbled, trying to crack a smile at Morgana's efforts. "And thank you too, Gwen."

Gwen just smiled back. "It's the least I could do. You did help me with laundry yesterday," she teased light heartedly, trying to lighten the mood. "Lance says to get better soon. He was just as upset as Morgana."

"Tell him thanks too."

She nodded, standing up and smoothing back her hair. "Well, I better go see if my lady needs anything else," she planted a kiss on his forehead. "I hope your recovery will go smoothly."

"See you, Gwen."

She gave a tiny wave, giving Gaius a hug before retreating out the doors. Gaius turned to him, looking at his bandaged back. "Arthur really did look upset," he started, checking over the bandages. "No one has ever seen him this upset. I feel he truly does feel remorseful about his actions."

"Well then he can tell that to my face!"

"Alright then."

Gaius walked out quietly, leaving Merlin dazed and confused until a solemn looking Arthur stepped in. Immediately, he scooted back against the headboard, giving a sharp cry at the pain his wounds gave him. In return, Arthur looked just as pained.

"May I sit down?"

He blinked, giving a quick nod. Arthur sat down, biting at his lower lip a few times as he stared at the wall in front of him. "I, uhm, wanted to apologize over my actions earlier this morning," he began in an awkward tone. "I regret having done that to you and hope that you recover soon."

Merlin just stared at him, wondering if this was the same Arthur who had mocked him yesterday. Arthur apparently noticed this and a pink hue dusted his cheeks. "What are you looking at?" he asked sharply. "Why do you keep looking at me as if I have a second head?"

He couldn't help the smirk that grew on his lips. "Aw, is someone feeling embarrassed?"

The pink hue darkened. "Shut up. I'm no good at apologies."

"Then maybe you need to apologize more often."

Arthur didn't meet his eyes. Instead, they were focused solely on the unused closet. "If you're wanting me to apologize about catching you in the forest the other day, then sorry."

Merlin just shot him a look. "Apology not accepted."

"What?"

"If you're going to apologize; at least mean it. If not, you're just wasting breath."

Arthur just blinked at him and he realized that no one had ever spoken like that to him before. Merlin groaned, feeling more than stupid for just saying that. The clotpole probably didn't even comprehend what he just said. "Just leave," he grumbled. "I want to sleep."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Yes, well, you've been sleeping all day. Don't you think you want to get up and carry on?"

He narrowed his eyes, anger rising up again. "Why would I want to work while I'm in pain?" he narrowed his eyes further as Arthur opened his mouth to speak again. "No, I'm not going to work for you just because you can't take care of yourself. Find someone else to do it."

The prince stepped forward, anger growing on his face. "I just came here to apologize and this is how I am treated? I didn't want to hurt you! I thought that last night was warning enough but my father…my father can be very domineering."

He felt his anger flatten a little at the mention of the king. "Is he always like that?" he found himself asking, remembering the horrified look on Arthur's face as he whipped him. "Cruel towards his servants?"

Arthur shook his head. "I've never seen him like that to anyone who doesn't have magic," he trailed off, looking at Merlin in the eyes. "So, please, for both our sakes, don't try to escape again."

He studied Arthur carefully, eyes knit together in focus. "You felt my pain, didn't you?" he sked quietly.

The blonde nodded. "I did. I could feel every moment of it," Arthur cleared his throat, still looking all the more embarrassed. "I don't want to have to do that to you, or anyone, ever again. It didn't feel human."

"The son of Uther against violence towards servants?"

Arthur rolled his eyes at his skeptical tone. "I don't mind fighting with the knights or anything, but violence towards the innocence makes me angry. Those kids I found last night, I was so mad that I didn't think twice about killing their kidnappers. I've sent Sir Leon and some others to return some of them to their families."

"Why some of them?"

"Because some of their families are dead."

He blinked, finding what Arthur did to be rather…nice. "That was kind of you," he admitted, genuinely impressed at the prince's actions. "Yet you still won't let me go."

"As I've explained to you before…-"

"Yes, yes, I know."

Both of them sat in silence, avoiding each other's gazes, but not feeling quite as awkward with each other. Arthur kept looking out at him from the corner of his eye, his hand fiddling with the small dagger in his lap. "But I truly am sorry for hurting you," he said softly. "I promise I will never do that again."

And for some reason, Merlin couldn't help but believe him. "Okay," was all he managed to get out, examining the fluffed pillow on his bed. "Since you feel this sorry about it, then I forgive you for that."

Arthur stood up, slowly walking away towards the door. "It's a start then," the blonde mused. "Well, goodnight. I do expect you to be ready to work in a few days."

"Of course, your royal pratness."

"Shut up, idiot."

"Clotpole."

"What on earth is a Clotpole?"

* * *

><p><strong>I couldn't resist adding the nicknames they give each other. They're not friends yet, but it is a start, right? I do hate rushing into things, so we won't see any too many romantic interactions between them until later. Oh, and we will be seeing some of Merlin's druid family in later chapters as well, so stay tuned!<strong>

**Before you all go, I was writing some ideas down for future fics and one of them was set in AU Modern times with Merlin and Arthur as the pairing, but with Uther and Merlin as the one-sided pairing. The setting would be like Hunith remarried into the Pendragon family and Merlin and Arthur fall in love with many other story elements coming in between them. Tell me what you think! Review please!**


	5. The Prat's birthday

_**Author's note:** I keep forgetting to mention that Morgana is good in this story and will not be turning evil. She will come to realize the truth of her parentage and powers, but she will not turn against everyone. My finals are coming up, so updates might be scarece for a while. I don't have too many tests, but I do have a lot of projects that need to be worked on._

_**Warnings: **None_

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own Merlin and never will. All OCs will not become central to the story._

_**Pairings:** _ArthurxMerlin, GuineverexLancelot, FreyaxWill, YgrainexUther (implied), BalinorxHunith (implied)

_**Chapter Summary:** On Arthur's twentieth birthday, he receives an interesting gift that either appalls or impresses everyone. Merlin however, is not impressed._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five: The Prat's birthday<strong>

"Well, it looks like you've improved a lot better at getting my armor on."

Merlin set the helmet in the prince's hands, casting him a withering look. "Yes, well, I've had lots of time to practice," he lied, smiling idly about the fact he had used magic to learn it quicker. "I found a book that was very helpful about the usage of armor."

Arthur only grunted. "So you were wasting time reading when you could have been cleaning my room or mucking out my stables."

"Well at least I learned where everything else goes, right?"

"Hmph, I suppose you're good for something then," the prince muttered, taking his sword from Merlin. "Other than being a clumsy idiot."

"Actually, Morgana told me my clumsiness is quite cute."

"Morgana's a girl. Of course she would say that."

He clicked his tongue, raising an eyebrow at the prince's behavior. "Better not let her hear you say that. I'm not sure she would take it too kindly."

"Oh shut up already, Merlin!"

"Okay, okay."

The doors were then thrown open, Uther appearing with Morgana not too far behind. The older man embraced his son tightly, smiling from ear to ear. "Happy birthday, Arthur," the king looked at him in the face proudly. "Twenty years old at last. Practically a man."

Merlin could only watch in concealed amusement as Arthur puffed his chest out, inwardly snickering at how silly it looked. "Thank you, Father," Arthur gave a slight bow. "I cannot believe it myself, actually."

"It seems like only yesterday we were children," Morgana gave the prince a hug, which seemed rather unusual considering how they argued most of the time. "And I was pushing you into the dirt while we were playing with swords."

Arthur merely rolled his eyes. "And the fact you kept rubbing in how you were taller than me," he stared down at her, nearly a foot taller than her. "But look who's taller now."

"Oh please, I could still beat you with a sword."

"Enough," Uther laid his hands down on their shoulders, a smile evident on his face. "Arthur, I hope you are ready for the tournament today?"

"Yes Father."

"Good. Because I'd hate for you to lose on your own birthday," he patted his son on the arm one more time. He then turned towards Merlin with a frosty look. "Make sure you don't cause any trouble. I'd hate for you to have to be punished again."

Merlin bowed his head, trying to ignore the icy fear that ran down his spine at the king's words. "Yes sire," he mumbled. "There will be no trouble."

"Good. Now, I must be off to see last minute preparations."

With the swish of his cape, the king disappeared down the corridors, the sound of his boots echoing in the distance. Morgana sighed, raising her eyes to the sky. "I do hope he learns to stop being overly dramatic. It gets rather tiresome."

"Same could be said about you," Arthur reached for something on the table, wiping the thing on his sword. "You become a drama queen every time someone does something you don't like."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Sure you don't."

Morgana laughed, taking Merlin by the arm. "I don't know how you can stand it," she teased. "Being stuck to man all day is surely bad for your health."

Merlin let out a laugh, ignoring the heated glare that came from the prince. He gave a little cough, not at all afraid of what Arthur would do. After all, the prince DID swear to him three weeks ago that he would not hurt him. "I think I'm catching something!" he coughed again for good measure. "I think I won't last the day."

He almost yelped as Arthur grabbed him by the arm, leading him away from his room and out into the hallways. Eventually he let go, his chain mail clinking as they walked towards the arena. By the time they'd reached their tent, Arthur seemed to have calmed down. He sorted through some of his weapons, looking comfortable among the weapons that lay before him.

He stepped towards the blonde, looking at the objects with little interest. "They look sharp," he commented. "I did my best at sharpening them."

Arthur picked up his sphere, looking at the tips very closely before he smirked and put it down. "Yes, it's sharp," he glanced towards him, tossing the sphere to him. "But not sharp enough."

"What do you mean? I spent hours on that!"

"Yes, I can see that."

He tried to ignore the sarcasm but Arthur's words still stung a little. If he cared, Arthur didn't show it, he just continued to polish his sword. He let out a small sigh, picking up some of the objects that had fallen on the floor and setting them on the table. Subconsciously, his mind drifted to his mother and his heart gave a dull ache. Even though he knew that she was aware that he was alright, he still wanted to see her very badly.

"Hey, you're not going to cry like a girl, are you?"

He jumped at Arthur's words, not expecting the prince to be paying any attention to him. "Why would I be crying?" he asked, hoping he sounded oblivious. "Do you see any tears?"

Arthur just raised an eyebrow, placing a hand on his metal breastplate. "The bond, remember?" he patted the breastplate. "Anything you feel, I feel. And vice versa. So if you have something to tell me, then say it."

Merlin just turned his head away, shaking it slowly. "It's nothing; don't worry about it."

"Alright then," he hoped Arthur would give up, but the blonde prat remained persistent. "If you don't tell me what's wrong, then you can help me with jousting practice every day for a whole month."

He blanched at the mention of jousting practice, the sickly feeling in his stomach rising as he remembered the last time they practiced jousting. He'd nearly got his head skewered off! "Fine," he grumbled, cheeks turning pink. "I just miss my mother, okay? I haven't seen her for weeks!"

"Oh, well why didn't you say so?"

Now he was truly fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "I didn't think you'd care," he admitted slowly. "You have better things to focus on than me. I'm just your druid and manservant."

"Knock, knock!"

A voice sounded in before Arthur could say anything, the sound of a man echoing through the space of the tent. Giving him a quick glance, Arthur moved forward and pushed back the tent flap, revealing a man and a woman of similar height and size. They appeared to be around their age, if not a little older and both had matching grins.

"I am Clyde," the man spoke, bowing to the prince.

"And I am Isadora," the woman spoke, bowing as well. "And we are painters."

"Twin painters."

"Oh yes, thank you for reminding me, brother dear."

Arthur just blinked. "What?"

Clyde let out a laugh, his green eyes twinkling with amusement. "I am Clyde and this is my twin sister, Isadora. We are two humble painters sent here by your father to give you a gift."

"We are up and coming painters and the king has been impressed with our work," Isadora continued. "We did a portrait for Lady Vivian and Uther liked it so much that he hired us to come paint you a picture for your birthday."

Arthur nodded, eyes blinking slowly as he absorbed it all in. "Do you have the picture done?" he asked, eyebrow raised as the twins shared grins. "Well?"

"Oh heavens no," Isadora waved her hand, as if Arthur had just said the most hilarious thing. "We haven't even started."

"Then when will you be done?" Merlin couldn't stop himself from asking. "Did you just get here?"

Clyde stopped laughing, giving him a cheeky smile. "We got here yesterday. We've been meaning to track you down, but couldn't find you," he shrugged his shoulders. "You're the druid boy, aren't you? Prince Arthur's trophy."

From out of the corner of his eye, he could see Arthur's jaw tighten. "He is my manservant, not my trophy," he ended it there, his eyes daring Clyde to finish. Isadora only cast her brother a warning look, nudging him in the side. Arthur only let out the faintest smirk. "Do you want to give me a portrait of myself?"

"Boring," Clyde rolled his eyes. "No, we have something else in mind."

"We will paint you doing something," Isadora said, ignoring Arthur's surprised face. "But we won't say what. It's a surprise."

"Alright then," Arthur nodded with a grin that only grew wider once he heard the trumpets echo in the distance. "Well, the tournament is about to begin. Why don't you two take your seats?"

The twins bowed before leaving the tent, their fingers only inches apart as they walked off. Merlin grabbed Arthur's cape, strapping it onto the fasteners. He avoided Arthur's gaze the whole time, though he could feel the blonde's eyes on him. Once the prince was set, he gave him a small smile. "Good luck."

"I don't need luck," Arthur smirked haughtily. "I only need to win."

He strode off, not even hearing Merlin's irritated mutter. "Prat," the druid hissed before slowly heading towards the arena. From the outskirts, he could see Arthur through the other knights, the prince looking golden and confident compared to them. His heart pulsed, the emotions of confidence and pride running through him. Arthur's emotions, he mused thoughtfully. Though if he were going to feel his bonded one's emotions, he would prefer that than the feelings of pain and guilt.

"Good luck, you clotpole," he mumbled, not even feeling the presence behind him until his magic kicked in. He jumped, turning around to see Gwen standing behind him. Giving a sigh of relief, he smiled. "Gwen. I didn't expect to see you here."

"Well why wouldn't I be? Lancelot is in the tournament as well," she indicated her head towards said knight, giving him a loving look. "And although I know it's Arthur's birthday, I hope he wins."

"Better not let Arthur hear you say that."

She nudged him teasingly. "As if he would do anything; Lance would stop him," she sighed, a dreamy forming. "And Arthur would never kill his friend."

"Never?" He cast a doubtful look.

"Never," she stated firmly. "Arthur holds his friends in very high regard."

"Sure," he cleared his throat, wanting to change the topic. "So, how long have you and Lancelot known each other?"

"Almost two years," she replied. "I helped patch up a wound of his and after that, well; we decided to hang around each other more. We began courting last year."

He couldn't help but give her a sly grin. "You must really love him."

"I do," she replied softly before her eyes turned downcast. "But we can't get married."

"Why not?"

She sighed, glancing over at the king who was now sitting next to Morgana with a proud look. "The knights are not looked highly upon if they marry someone of lower birth. Lancelot already has a hard enough time with being of lower rank."

"What?" Merlin was surprised by this and he glanced at Lancelot, who had just knocked Sir Sebastian to the ground. "He's not of noble birth?"

Gwen shook her head. "No, he was born to a poor family in a village that was whipped out by a gryphon. When he came to Camelot, he and Arthur quickly became friends. Although he wanted to be a knight, Uther would not allow him."

"Then how is he a knight now?"

"I'm getting there," she continued. "Two years ago, a witch came to Camelot with the intention to kill Arthur and Morgana. She would have succeeded if Lancelot hadn't intervened. Uther had been injured and Lancelot fought so bravely that he made him a knight, but it hasn't been easy. Some of the knights still don't respect him."

"I don't see why birth rank should matter," Merlin huffed. "If Lancelot makes you happy, then you should be together."

She patted his arm tenderly. "If anyone else besides you and Morgana knew about our relationship, then it would be over. The knights who don't respect Lancelot right now will disrespect him even more. And although I love him more than anything, I don't wish for him to be put in any more misery."

"I won't tell anyone, I swear," he nodded towards her. "I'll keep it away from Arthur as best as I can."

''Thank you, Merlin."

The crowd cheered as Arthur stepped out into the arena for the first time with a haughty grin. Sir Owaine took the field with them, both their swords poised for attack. Merlin watched with concealed worry, though it wasn't for Arthur. Sir Owaine was a new knight and Arthur had much more experience. And since this was a tournament in Arthur's honor, he would not go easy on the younger man.

"Arthur really knows his way around a sword, doesn't he?"

He jumped as he heard Clyde's voice right around his ear. He turned around to see the man standing behind him, smiling so wide that Merlin thought the smile might be permanently stuck to his face. He nodded at the painter, nodding his head towards Gwen. "Clyde, this is Guinevere."

"Ah, milady," Clyde knelt down, taking Gwen's hand and bringing it to his lips. "You're beauty rivals that of the Lady Morgana."

Gwen blushed furiously. "Oh no, please don't say that. She's my best friend," she glanced over to where Lancelot was, the blush darkening as he was staring quite interestedly at them. "And the King's ward for that matter."

"Yes, but you look like a Queen."

The blush on Gwen's face increased and she released her hand from Clyde's, her eyes trying not to reach his. Instead, she focused on Morgana, who was now waving her over. "I must go now, my lady needs me," she curtsied, giving Merlin a goodbye smile. "I'll see you later, Merlin."

"Bye Gwen!"

He had almost forgotten that Clyde was there until the man spoke. "She seems like a nice young lady," he commented. "Does she have a suitor?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"I'm not able to give that information out."

Clyde only nodded thoughtfully. "A secret romance then? Ah, those are the best. Tell me, is it one of the knights? The prince? Or is the king himself?"

He stared down at the shorter man, glaring at him irritably. "Uther is old enough to be her father; that's disgusting!"

Clyde put up his hands in self-defense. "I kid, I kid!" he nudged Merlin in the side. "Calm down druid boy."

"How did you-"

"Know you're a druid? Merlin, practically everyone knows that you are the druid Arthur caught," the smile on the man's face was unsettling. "How does it feel, knowing that you belong to the prince?"

He only glared off into the distance, trying to ignore the annoying man. "For the past few weeks, Arthur has treated me well. He's a prat, and an arrogant one at that, but these past few weeks have been okay."

Clyde just smiled in false sweetness. "And how is your back? Does it still hurt?"

His eyes widened at the mention of the whipping and Clyde's green eyes held a smirk in them. "How did you find out about that?" he asked in a dark tone. "No one was to find out."

Clyde shrugged. "Yes, well, word does travel."

"How did you find out?"

"Clyde!"

Both of them straightened out as Isadora marched over, her green eyes narrowed as she took in the sight of her brother. "Clyde, quit bothering Merlin and go find inspiration for our painting. It has to be done by the feast tonight."

Clyde smiled sweetly at her. "Sister dear, I was looking for inspiration and then I just happened to bump into Merlin. Besides, I believe I already found our idea."

"Oh? And what is it?"

He took Isadora's arm into his, leading her off into the exit. However, Merlin did hear him say something toward him as they disappeared. "Oh, it's a surprise."

A surprise? Merlin didn't know if he quite liked the sound of that.

"Merlin, stop day dreaming like a girl and help me with my armor!"

He snapped into focus, hurrying towards Arthur who was waiting impatiently for him by the tent. As he adjusted the straps to his chainmail, he gave a slight nod. "You're doing good."

"Yes, well, the competition this year is easy," he grinned almost ruefully. "I think I will have to go harder on the knights."

"Well, better them than me," Merlin teased, but he soon quieted once the prince looked at him and his face turned into an almost fearful frown. "Don't tell me I have to train too?"

"No, but you'll be helping me. That's even better."

"For who?"

"For me. Watching you use equipment never ceases to amuse me."

"Clotpole."

Arthur raised his eyes in exasperation. "What the bloody hell is a clotpole? You keep saying that but I still don't know what it means."

Merlin only shrugged. "Maybe one day you'll figure it out."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Yes, maybe," he drifted off, picking up his sword and placing it in his sheath. "Now that the final round will be commencing, I want you to start polishing all my equipment."

"Oh, what an honor." Merlin muttered sarcastically, glancing up to see Arthur giving him a final smirk.

"Yes, it truly is an honor, Merlin."

* * *

><p><strong>(Palace dining halls, 7:00 p.m.)<strong>

"Gaius, I think my arms are going to fall off."

Gaius only looked at him in mild amusement, watching as he rubbed his sore arms. "But at least his weapons will be ready for use," the old man began. "And your polishing skills have improved."

"Hooray."

"Don't be so sullen; this is a party after all."

He nodded, watching as Arthur danced with Morgana, his magenta colored dress catching the eye of everyone in the hall. He knew she was relishing in the fact that all the men were looking at her, causing great jealousy in the women. He smirked, watching as she whacked Arthur's arm playfully. "I'm surprised Morgana isn't married yet," he said to his friend. "Arthur keeps complaining on how his father wants him to marry, yet he never pressures Morgana."

"Well, Morgana can be very temperamental. Once she's set her mind against something, it will take someone a very long time to convince her out of it," he looked back towards the king's ward thoughtfully. "Also, she is not in line for the throne."

"She and Arthur get along fine, so why don't they-"

"No Merlin," Gaius cut off abruptly, his tone sharp. "Uther would not allow that. He would want Arthur to marry a princess from an allied kingdom, all in the hopes of strengthening our relationships."

"I guess," he replied, curious as to why Gaius was so short with him all of a sudden. It always seemed that way when Morgana was the topic of hand. "What about you? Have you ever been in love?"

That seemed to break the ice, for Gaius gave a smile. "Once, many years ago. Her name was Alice. She was a physician, like I am."

"And?"

"She was forced to leave because she used magic."

"Oh. I'm sorry," Merlin gave a sad smile. "My father used magic as well and Uther hunted him down for it. He took shelter in our old village where he met my mother. Needless to say, I was created."

Gaius touched his arm very briefly. "One day you will see your family again. Till now, bide your time. Patience is a virtue."

"If you say so."

He watched around the courtroom as the courtiers and knights danced away, the music playing softly in the distance. He smiled longingly, remembering the dances he and the other druids used to do during the night and at certain times of the year. He sighed a little, but kept the smile on his face. After all, looking depressed would do him no good and Uther would probably accuse him of causing trouble.

Looking out towards the balcony, the scene before him caught his eye. Two figures stood alone, dancing slowly in each other's arms with the most passionate and loving looks he had ever seen. Gwen and Lancelot danced, with the knight's elegant garments and Gwen's simple dress. Even in the simple dress, she looked beautiful. As creepy as Clyde was, he had been right. Gwen's looks did rival that of Morgana's.

"They're lovely together, aren't they?"

He jumped as Morgana appeared next to him, flashing her a quick grin. "Yeah," he agreed whole heartedly. "I just wish they could be out here dancing."

"Me too," her eyes went dim for a moment. "Some of these rules have to change. They love each other and should rank really matter when it comes to love? I don't think it should," she grumbled, her eyes shifting towards Uther. "That man was in love once, though it's kind of hard to picture anyone loving Uther."

"Morgana!"

She shrugged, not seeming to care. "Well it's true," she placed her hands on her hips. "Anyways, would you like to dance? You've been standing near the wall all evening and I know a dancer when I see one."

He flushed, shaking his head. "No," he denied, knowing full well she was right. "I don't dance, at least not like the ones you do."

"You know druid dances?"

"Of course."

"Well you will have to teach me some. I would love to learn some."

He smirked, a laugh brushing past his lips. "Uther wouldn't like that."

"And I care what Uther thinks?"

She skipped off, three other girls taking her arms and forming a circle as they danced together, laughing. He smiled at the sight, but the smile faded too quickly when Uther stood up from his chair. Everyone took their seats, the servants heading toward the walls. Only Clyde and Isadora stood in the center, a canvas hidden behind a white sheet. Clyde was grinning from ear to ear, but Isadora only gave a half smile, tucking her blonde hair into her braid nervously.

Uther nodded, smiling proudly. "Guests, today we celebrate my son, Arthur's, twentieth birthday," everyone clapped, Arthur smiling broadly. "As a gift to my son, I asked two very young painters to give him a gift. Clyde and Isadora have proved to be spectacular painters. I hope that you enjoy this gift, Arthur."

"Thank you, father," Arthur responded with sincerity. "And I know I will treasure this gift."

Clyde nodded towards his sister, the two of them removing the sheet. The audience gasped in wonder, Arthur leaning forward in his seat to get a closer look. Merlin's face only paled at the site, his heart beating rapidly. Vaguely, he felt Gwen take his hand and could sense Morgana's worried eyes on him.

The picture was well made, though to Merlin, it was the ugliest thing he had ever seen. In the painting, Arthur was in his armor, a bow and arrow in his hand as he aimed the arrow towards a figure. Him. He was appalled by how he was portrayed, wanting nothing more than the light the picture on fire. He was depicted as a dryad, a nature sprit, wearing nothing but leaves that were painted in an intricate design all around his body. His face looked frightened and Arthur looked so concentrated and focused.

Clyde caught his eyes, smirking. "We call this the Hunter and his Prey. In light of the prince's most recent achievement, we wanted to commend you."

Arthur smiled. "I thank you for this gift. This painting is an honor."

If Arthur noticed Morgana's frosty glare, he didn't notice. If he sensed how Merlin was feeling, he also didn't notice. The dancing and feasting continued as usual, people coming up to congratulate Arthur and the twin painters. Merlin took this as his chance to leave, exiting the hall silently to get some fresh air.

He leaned over the balcony, eyes brimming with tears at the image. He shouldn't be crying about a silly painting, but the thought of someone thinking that kidnapping was an achievement made him sick.

"Merlin?"

Isadora's voice echoed in his ears, her voice small against the roaring in his ears. He turned to her, wiping away any trace of tears. "Yes?" he asked, trying to keep his voice even. "Did you need something."

She bit her lip, eyes downcast. "I am sorry."

"Sorry?"

She sighed sadly. "The painting was not my idea; it was Clyde's. I told him it was a bad idea and that he was being insensitive, but he would not listen. My brother, though I love him to death, can be very hurtful and cruel. I know my apology doesn't seem like much, but I never wanted you to feel sad. Please forgive me."

She bowed her head, shame radiating from her body like a fire. Though he didn't know her very well, he attitude towards him and the way she talked to him made him like her a lot more than her brother. He sighed, nodding his head. "I forgive you," he started. "But not your brother."

"I completely understand."

He watched as she lifted her head, her eyes flashing gold for a brief moment before a shower of gold dust appeared. It morphed into a butterfly, silently fluttering towards him and nestling into his hair. He dropped his jaw, eyes widening. "You have magic?" he hissed silently. "And Uther isn't aware of this?"

She nodded. "My brother and I both do. Twins are special, you know," he nodded at the reminder and she gave a wan smile. "We use our magic when we paint; that's why we paint so fast. Our parents forbade us from ever learning certain spells, but we still learned as much as we could."

"Uther condemns magic users."

"You think we're not aware of that?" she asked coldly, but the tone soon vanished. "Why should we be ashamed of who we really are?"

"I keep asking myself the same thing."

She sat down next to him, the butterfly still on his head. "I truly am sorry, Merlin," she said again. "I hope one day that you will find happiness."

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><p><strong>You guys know what to do. Review please!<strong>


	6. Samhain

_**Author's note:** Thanks for all the reviews. My gosh, I have over sixty followers! Thank you so much! And thanks to all the people who put this story as their favorite. However, to all those people who did follow, I haven't heard from them. I'm not ungrateful, but leave a review every now and then. Let me know what you think. Anyways, Merry Christmas to you all and a Happy New Year! _

_**Warnings:** None_

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own the sandbox. I just jump the fence to play in it._

_**Pairings:** ArthurxMerlin, LancelotxGuinevere, FreyaxWill, UtherxYgraine (implied), BalinorxHunith (implied)_

_**Chapter Summary:** Merlin get in a spat the morning of Samhain and he also learns a few things about Morgana, which causes him to question what she truly is._

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><p><strong>Chapter six: Samhain<strong>

"Good morning you're highness; rise and shine!"

Merlin threw open the blinds with great pleasure, watching as Arthur turned over in his bed to escape the autumn morning light. The prince groaned, throwing the pillow over his head. "Go away, Merlin," he moaned. "It's too early."

"Nonsense, it is only seven in the morning. I've been up since six."

"Your cheerfulness is starting to irritate me."

"It's all part of my charm."

He ducked as Arthur threw a pillow at him, the fluffy object hitting the wall with a small thump. He only sighed, shaking his head at the prince's antics. "I will throw water on you if you don't get up."

"And I will put you in the stocks if you do."

He rolled his eyes, though he was sure the prince would do that if it deemed necessary to. "Well, your father did want to talk to you today and I am very sure he would be most upset if you didn't show up."

Arthur shot out of bed, nearly crashing into the bedside table. "Hurry up then!" he cried out. "Father would be most upset if I were late!"

He only grinned, catching the prince's nightshirt and putting it in the hamper nearby. He grabbed his usual red top, sliding it over his blonde head and fastening the strings. He then handed Arthur his long brown jacket, the blonde haired man taking it from him with ease. "Do you know what he wanted, exactly?" Arthur asked, taking a bite of an apple that lay on his breakfast plate. "If it were an emergency, he would come get me himself."

Merlin shook his head. "He didn't say. Though, he did give me a nasty look."

"He tends to do that to people, whether or not it's intentional."

He bit his lip. "I think it's because I have magic that he does it," glancing around the room, his breath gave a hitch when his eyes caught the painting. Even though it had been over three weeks since the painting had been done, it still caused fear to run through his body. For weeks he had avoided looking at it, but now…

"Merlin?"

He jumped, knocking over Arthur's armor and turned around to see the Prince looking at him with skepticism. "While you being a klutz is nothing new," he began, staring at the armor with annoyance. "I do know when something is bothering you."

"It's nothing."

"Now, stop lying!"

"I'm not!"

"Yes you are," the prince laid his hands on his shoulder's firmly, his ocean blue eyes staring into his own. "I don't like it when people lie to me. So, I can both ignore you and pretend you're alright, or you can be honest with me. Your choice."

Merlin bit his lip, turning away from the prince. "I don't like the painting."

"Is that it?"

His eyes widened, disbelief flooding over him like a wave. "That's it?" he whirled around, not even registering the taken aback look on Arthur's face. "Are you really this thick headed? You never even registered a thought on how that portrait makes me feel! Did you even look closely at it?"

Arthur scowled. "It was given to me as a present; why should I think badly of it?"

"Because it's glorifying you in the one thing I wish you had never done!"

Arthur's face darkened. "You mean you don't like it because it reminds you of what happened."

"You really are thick headed," he whispered, anger building in him. "Being with you everyday reminds me of what happened…"

"Is that it? Arthur stood at full height, grabbing his sword from the table and marching towards the door. "Well since you called me thick headed, you can muck out all the stables!"

"What?"

"This means my stables and my knight's stables. And after that, you can clean my entire chambers."

The prince strode out of his room with an air of dignity and grace. He knew he shouldn't have done this and would probably regret it later that day, but Merlin could not help the curse that flew out of his mouth as he watched the prince walk down the hall.

He didn't even stop the grin from appearing on his mouth as he heard Arthur grip over the imaginary force that had appeared before his legs until an angry sound erupted from the prince's mouth.

"MERLIN!"

* * *

><p>"Stupid prince, stupid horses, and this stupid messy room. 'Oh no Merlin, that picture makes me happy'. Ha! Well, it wouldn't make him happy if it were him in my position."<p>

"Merlin?"

He jumped, surprised to hear Morgana's voice from behind him. He immediately stood up, giving the woman a quick bow. "Morgana," he said, eyes still to the floor. "I did expect to see you here."

Morgana smiled in amusement, the dark blue fur around her arms complementing the paleness of her ivory skin. "I can see that," she looked down at the spilled bucket of water. "I take it you and Arthur are fighting again?"

He flushed. "I suppose you could say that," he met her eyes, still surprised to see the amusement in them. "I haven't seen him since I got him up this morning. How is he?"

"Moody," she replied, not at all bothered to be talking about the prince with someone beneath her status. "He gets like that when he gets in a fight with his friends or with Uther. He'll calm down eventually."

"Friends?"

She nodded. "He views you as a friend, whether or not you feel the same way. Let's just say he isn't the sharpest sword in the armory when it comes to recognizing people's feelings. But he is getting better at it."

"He is?"

"Oh yes," she smiled brightly. "He used to not really care about anything other than his knights and his sword fighting, but I've seen a small change in him. It's not noticeable to everyone yet, but he's becoming a bit more sensitive to people's feelings."

Merlin felt his head nod before he could stop it. "This morning, he asked if there was something wrong with me and I said no. And even though I did say no, he still pressed on."

"And what were you upset about?"

He motioned towards the painting that stood adjacent to the Arthur's dining table. "I told him the painting bothered me. He just said I was only bothered by the fact that it reminded me of what happened almost two months ago."

Morgana studied him deeply. "But that's not it, is it?" she wet her lips as he shook his head. "It just reminds you of all the glorification that he is getting, am I right?"

"At least you understand," he murmured. "Arthur certainly doesn't and I'm not sure the others would either."

Morgana knelt down next to him, leaning against the bedframe. "I understand completely," she began, looking out the window. "Ten years ago, my real father was killed during a war with another kingdom."

Merlin stared at her, finding it odd that she would share something personal with him. "I'm sorry," he said, not quite knowing what to say. "I don't-"

"It's alright," she interrupted. "Anyway, my father asked Uther for more help so he could fight the enemy's army off, but Uther didn't send any. My father entire legion died and it was my father's last request that if anything happened to him, Uther would take care of me," she pressed her lips in a thin line, anger forming in her eyes. "The war had ended by the time I arrived in the castle. Never in my life had I felt so alone. There was a celebration going on that evening, glorifying those who had survived and those who had perished. But I just could not attend."

"Because Uther remained ignorant of your feelings," Merlin began. "Just as Arthur is ignorant with mine."

She nodded. "My feelings exactly. He never gave one thought to how I was feeling about my father's death and just glorified how great the army was and how wonderful of a king he was."

He flinched at the anger in her voice, knowing full well now that she was not someone he wanted to make angry. Morgana let out a sigh, wrapping her arms around her knees. Merlin scooted a little closer to her, placing a hand on her arm. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to make you angry," he said sadly. "I'm just glad that I could find someone whom I could relate my feelings to."

Morgana turned her head to meet his eyes. "I'm not angry Merlin, just tired," she closed her eyes for a brief moment, allowing Merlin to get a good look at the permanent shadowy bags beneath her eyes. "I haven't had a good night's sleep in years. Gaius' sleeping drafts only work for so long."

"He said that you have nightmares?"

"Something like that," she admitted. "I don't know what they are; but only that sometimes they come true."

"_So she does have visions of the future," _he noted to himself. Standing up swiftly, he helped her to her feet. "Maybe I could help," he offered. "I do know some healing spells that my druid family taught me."

"You'd do that for me?" she sounded surprised, her face breaking out into a smile. "But if you got caught then Uther would not be merciful to you."

He let out a smirk. "Then Uther will just not have to find out."

A smirk that matched his own formed on her ruby red lips. "Thank you, Merlin," she gave him a hug, wrinkling her nose a little. "You should probably bathe before the feast tonight. Or Arthur will never let you hear the end of it. Or Gwen for that matter."

With the flick of her midnight colored hair, she walked off gracefully down the corridors. Merlin could only stare after her, suspicion growing in him. Only a few people he knew had visions and those were all people with magic.

"But that's silly," he muttered to himself as he returned to his chores. "She couldn't have magic; she's the king's ward. It would be dangerous for her to be living in the castle."

He frowned, the feeling of unease still swimming in him. Whenever he brought the subject up with Gaius, the old man shot it down quickly, looking almost nervous. And Gwen and Lancelot had admitted to him that sometimes strange things happened while she was sleeping. Only a month before he came here, her curtains caught on fire and no one was in the room when it happened until they heard Morgana scream.

"I'll have to look more closely before I admit anything to her," he affirmed to himself quietly. "If she does have magic, then she has the right to know. Before she truly does hurt herself."

* * *

><p>"Welcome friends and honored guests. Tonight is Samhain, a night in our world where we celebrate the memory of those dear to us. This is also the night where the veil between our world and the spirit world is at its thinnest. It is also a time where we remember our ancestor's mission to stop the spread of magic and that we are all one year closer to wiping it out."<p>

The audience clapped at Uther's speech, smiles plastered to their faces as the king sat down to start the feast. From the corner of his eye, Merlin could see Morgana roll her eyes at the king, earning a glare from Arthur. In the distance, he could see Lancelot and Gwen looking at each other with smitten eyes, both of them smiling shyly at each other.

"Merlin, wine."

He glanced down at Arthur, who held his goblet up without looking at him. Without a word, he poured the liquid in the cup, stepping back when the cup was full. Arthur opened his mouth to say something, but in the end, he shut it and continued to eat his food as if nothing was going on between them.

"Is everything alright, Arthur?" Uther asked, setting his fork down for a minute to take a sip of wine. "You seem rather tense this evening."

"It's nothing," Arthur replied. "I just didn't sleep well last night."

Uther turned around in his chair, turning his frosty eyes to Merlin. "If the druid did something to upset you, then you know what to do," he leaned over to say something in Arthur's ear. "I did give you the whip, remember? You still have it don't you?"

Merlin felt his blood run cold. He felt his hands shake, not even realizing that Arthur probably still had the whip that he had used on him a month ago. He heard Morgana inhale sharply, her eyes meeting his and then glaring hatefully at Uther. _"She heard what he said," _he mused. _"She must have a really good sense of hearing."_

"I still have it," Arthur admitted. "But it has nothing to do with my druid. I was just practicing a lot with the knights yesterday, that's all."

Arthur was lying for him, he realized, almost begrudgingly. While he still believed he was an arrogant prat, he would not deny that he and his father were two very different people. While Uther was cruel and cold, Arthur was merciful and remorseful. Arthur would most definitely be a better king than Uther. He even protested against whipping his own servants.

And if what Gaius said was true, he was destined to make that happen. He could even see it sometimes. In his dreams, he could see Arthur ruling Camelot and being the best king the world had ever seen. He could see Lancelot and Gwen, married, with a little family and no prejudice against them. He could even see himself, with his family living there without the fear of being executed.

"_Maybe I could help create that," _he said to himself. _"Perhaps Gaius was right."_

"Merlin?"

He looked down towards Arthur. "Yes?" he asked, feigning innocence. "Would you like some more wine, sire?"

Arthur shook his head, glancing over to where his father had leaned across the table to speak to some dignitary from North Umbria. "About the argument we had this morning, I wanted to-"

"Oh look," Merlin quickly interrupted, relieved that Gaius was beckoning over to him. "I think Gaius wants to talk to me."

"Merlin!"

He rushed over to where Gaius was, noting how the man glanced over to where Arthur was then back to him. "I just wanted to tell you that I am glad that you haven't used your magic today," the old man gave a small smile. "At this time in the year, our magic is at its strongest, but I'm sure you know that."

Merlin grinned. "Of course I haven't used my magic he lied," a look from Gaius told him that the old man could see right through him. "And I know my magic is strong, I can feel it."

Gaius nodded. "And since you're Emrys, your magic is a lot stronger than the other druids. I hope you remember to keep it in check."

"Why wouldn't I?"

Gaius only shook his head. "I could hear the prince grumbling throughout the castle about something tripping him in the hall," he scrutinized Merlin through his old eyes. "I hope you are more careful with your magic in the future."

The old man walked off, heading over to where the king was. He supported the king from his back and for the first time, Merlin could see that there was something that was…wrong with him. The old man's face was pale and he gave a few coughs. Both Arthur and Morgana looked worried, but the king just waved him off. Merlin shook his head, knowing he would have to question Gaius about it later.

He crept out to the vacant courtyard, noticing that there were no guards on patrol at that moment. He stared up at the full moon, a feeling of sadness filling his body. For the first nineteen years of his life, he had spent Samhain with his family and the other druids. Every year, they would light a bonfire and dance around it hand and hand, singing about their ancestors and how they appreciate them.

He smiled at the thought of last year. That year, a little druid girl named Kara had appeared and Mordred had become absolutely smitten with her. As he, Freya, and Will danced around the fire with the others, they laughed as Kara planted a big kiss on the boy's face. Ever since that night, the boy had trailed after her like a shadow.

As he was pulled back to the present, he found himself dancing. There was no fire, but that was alright with him. He hummed under his breath, remembering the melody they would always sing at this time of year. He placed his hands over his head, spinning in a few circles, letting his body get lost in the rhythm and magic that was playing throughout his body.

"Huh. So I guess you're not a total klutz after all."

He froze, his face immediately turning red when he heard Arthur's voice. The blonde haired prince was staring at him from the steps, amusement written on his face. He walked up to the prince, trying to shove his embarrassment down. "I uh," he stuttered. "I used to dance with my family and the other druids at this time of year."

Arthur nodded. "I've heard that the druids do certain rituals at certain times of the year. Though my father makes them all sound violent and cruel, I have heard from other people that they're not," the prince met his eyes. "I am sorry that you miss your family. I should have noticed that sooner."

He raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me? Is this," he rubbed his eyes, blinking at the prince. "Are you, apologizing to me?"

Arthur lifted his chin, not meeting his eyes. "I am sorry that you haven't been having an easy time. And I am also sorry that my father is treating you a bit coldly."

He couldn't suppress the grin that rose on his face. "Is the Great Arthur Pendragon actually apologizing to a mere servant and druid? What would your father say?"

"Shut up!" Arthur hissed, his face flushing slightly. "Morgana said I need to be more sensitive to the people. And if I can't understand how my servants and even how my own druid is feeling, then how am I supposed to help my people?"

Merlin nodded, seeing sense in this. "Well then, I suppose that I have flustered you enough," he reveled at the embarrassment on Arthur's face. "I forgive you for those things."

Arthur nodded his head once. "And I also decided to take the portrait down from my room."

"You did?"

"I should have known that it would have been a sensitive to you; knowing that everyone is acting like a I made a huge achievement in finding you," Merlin winced slightly, his heart twisting as he felt the guilt Arthur was feeling. "And so I decided to put it somewhere else."

"Thank you."

As Arthur moved to walk away, he gave a slight smile. "You're welcome, Merlin."

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><p><strong>You all know what to do! Review, follow, and favorite. Ta-ta for now!<strong>


	7. The Truth is Revealed

_**Author's note: **Hey guys! I know it's been a while, but I'm back! I should have updated during Winter Break but I got the Sims 4 and spent a lot of time playing that, along with spending time with family and friends. I go back to school tomorrow, but I promise to update a lot more. Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and hope you enjoy this chapter_

_**Warnings:** Attempted murder_

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own Merlin and never will. Any OCs used will not take up the main roles of the story_

_**Pairings: **ArthurxMerlin, LancelotxGuinevere, WillxFreya, BalinorxHunith (implied), UtherxYgraine (implied), LeonxMorgana_

_**Chapter Summary: **Morgana finally discovers the truth about her problems._

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: The Truth is revealed<strong>

"Why do I have to be here, again?"

Morgana tossed her head over her shoulder, flashing him an impish grin. "Because it's one of the last nice days out before it gets cold. And because we need a big strong man to protect us from anyone that might attack." She added sarcastically.

Gwen just linked her arm with his, her basket swaying in her hand. "She's just kidding," she grinned playfully. "We just needed a break from the idiot boys."

"Is that all?"

Morgana laughed. "And we wanted to spend time with you," she looked at him expectantly. "Didn't Gaius need you to get him some sort of flower for Uther's cough?"

"Lavender," he pulled out the slip of paper from his satchel. "My mother would use the same thing for me whenever I took ill with a cough."

Gwen nodded slowly. "My mother would use poppy flowers."

"Well then we shall go and collect them all," a sly grin grew on Morgana's pale face. "And maybe you can collect flowers for Lancelot?"

Gwen's face turned bright pink. "And you can collect flowers for Sir Leon," she teased, a large grin forming on her face as Morgana flushed. "I'm sure he would appreciate them."

"Shh you! Do you want everyone in the kingdom to know?"

Merlin raised an eyebrow. "You and Sir Leon?" he asked, not surprised. Leon, along with Lancelot, was one of the nicer knights. "Why Morgana, I thought you were going to remain single forever!"

She shot him a half-hearted glare. "When did I ever say that?" she asked, shaking her head. "Now you sound like Uther. He keeps hinting at me to get married."

"You should be thankful that he is more focused on Arthur marrying than you," Gwen said evenly, her dark eyes serious. "And that Arthur is still against the thought of marrying at this moment."

Morgana nodded. "I agree," she took Gwen's free arm, linking it in hers. "I don't think Uther would mind if I married Leon, but you never know with that man."

"Did you hear he wants to marry Arthur off to Princess Vivian?"

Merlin stopped in his tracks, looking at Gwen with wide eyes. "Uther wants to marry Arthur off to some girl he doesn't know?"

Gwen nodded. "Almost. We met Princess Vivian once," she glanced at Morgana, whose lips had tightened into a thin line at that point. "Let's just say Arthur was not impressed by her."

"Or me," Morgana quipped in. "She couldn't even understand sarcasm."

"Is she dumb?" he asked, genuinely interested.

"Oh yes," Morgana flipped her long hair back, letting the curls tumble down her back. "She's a beautiful girl, but she isn't exactly the brightest. And she was rude to Gwen."

"She was?"

Gwen sighed. "It was nothing really," she continued on after receiving a pointed look from Morgana. "She called me a useless maid, but I don't really take offense by it. I know I am not useless."

"That's still rude," Merlin narrowed his eyes. "So is this Vivian coming here or something?"

"Eventually," Morgana moved a branch away from her face. "I believe sometime in the spring, though I'm not for certain. Their kingdom receives heavy amounts of snow in the winter, so travel is not easy."

He let a smile of relief form on his face. "Good. I don't think I'd want Arthur to marry some bimbo."

"Jealous?"

"No!" he shook his head fervently, avoiding Morgana's suspicious eyes. "I just think he could do better than marry some rude girl. Does Uther even like her?"

Gwen shrugged. "With that man, who knows?"

Morgana just waved the name off with her hand. "Who cares what Uther thinks? All I care about is Arthur not falling to his Father's stupid demands. The people want a leader that can think for himself, not one that does what his daddy tells him," she grinned, her eyes scanning the field ahead. "We're here!"

Out of all the fields he had seen in his life, Merlin had to say that this one was impressive. Even if it was late in the year, the grass still kept its spring green texture, though it was duly noted that a bit of colorization was appearing at the bottom of the blades. Flowers of all kinds were spread out across the plain, ranging from Daisies, black-eyed Susan's, Poppies, Lavender and many other kinds. Morgana and Gwen spread out, pointing out different kinds of flowers while he took slower steps, observing each petal carefully before putting it in his bag for Gaius.

"Merlin!" Gwen called out. "Come here!"

He hurried over to Gwen, accidently stomping on a few of the blossoms. She had daisies weaved in her hair, creating sort of a crown or halo over her dark locks. She placed a dark blue flower in his hair, ignoring his protests. "A Morning Glory," she commented, reminding him of the name. "It matches your eyes, don't you think?"

"Gwen, I can't go to court with a flower in my hair! And if Lancelot finds out you put it there-"

"Lancelot won't care," Gwen shrugged, placing another in his hair. "Morgana, did you find more Morning Glories?"

"Yes!" Morgana dashed forward, her hands full of flowers. A wreath of Black-eyed Susans was wrapped around her head, which didn't really match with her dress. "I found lots, and lots of them."

"Good."

They set to work immediately, twisting the stems together until a wreath had appeared around his head. By the time they were done, the blue flowers had settled in his hair uncomfortably, a few of the petals falling down in front of his face. Both girls grinned in triumph, mischievous grins on their faces. "Well Gwen, if I didn't fancy Leon, I would date this young man in a heartbeat," Morgana laughed, the teasing very light hearted. "Don't you agree?"

"Oh yes, Lancelot better watch out."

The three of them laughed, lying down amongst the ground to watch the clouds roll along the sky. As they lay on the cold ground, pointing out different things in the sky, Merlin studied the King's ward. The bags under her eyes had grown more prominent, giving her green eyes a sickly look. "Morgana, are you feeling alright?" he asked carefully.

As if she knew what he was talking about, Morgana sighed. "No," she admitted. "My dreams are getting worse."

"Dreams?"

Morgana shook her head. "They're nothing," she said, dancing around Gwen's question. "Just strange dreams that have no meaning."

Gwen glanced at him, the look silently telling him that she wasn't convinced. "You've been having dreams since September," the maid gently stated. "I'm getting worried; everyone is."

"Well everyone can mind their own business!" Morgana snapped. Both he and Gwen jumped at the sudden outburst causing Morgana to soften her glare. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped. I just don't wish to talk about it right now."

"Alright," he began, thinking of something to change the topic. "Did you know Arthur talks in his sleep?"

Gwen let out a giggle, the concerned look disappearing. "He does?"

Morgana sat up, turning around to face him with curious eyes. "What does he talk about?" she asked, resting her chin on her hands. "Girls in pretty dresses?"

He smirked. "No, actually, he doesn't," he leaned forward, glancing around as if the prince were nearby. "Do you two swear not to tell a soul?"

The two girls nodded fervently, eyes glowing in anticipation. He wet his dry lips, a smile breaking out. "Earlier this morning, when I was bringing him his breakfast, I heard him mutter something under his breath. At first I thought he was talking to me, but then I realized he was muttering into his pillow. He said, and I quote: "No Mr. Cottontail, don't eat all those carrots by yourself!"

Morgana let out a howl, falling back into the grass and clutching her sides in a very unladylike manner. Gwen was more contained, though her cheeks had darkened a little as she giggled. Morgana wiped an imaginary tear from her eye, her breathing very heavy. "Oh, I am so going to make fun of him for this," she chortled. "He is not going to live this down."

"Don't tell him!"

"Oh I won't, but I will have to make remarks about it in his presence. Did you know that carrots are his favorite vegetable?"

He shook his head. "I had no idea," he paused, thinking hard. "Though I have noticed he goes for the carrots every time they are served with his meal."

Gwen giggled again. "Maybe he would like more carrots."

"Maybe. Hey-"

"Well what do we have here?"

Footsteps crunched through the grass and the three of them froze, turning their heads to where the strange voice was heard. A greasy, potbellied man sauntered towards them, two swords strapped to his back and one onto his belt. Five other men stood behind him, leering at Gwen and Morgana unabashedly. Merlin ushered the two girls behind him as they stood up, eyes flashing in a warning. "Who are you?" he demanded, trying to sound neutral.

"Edward the slave trader," he said with pride, looking at Morgana's body up and down. "Now, why don't you hand over those two girls and we'll go quietly."

"I don't think so," Merlin snapped, heart thudding in fear at the looks the men were giving to his friends. He wasn't scared for himself; he knew he could handle himself, but Gwen and Morgana didn't have anything to fight the men off. "How about you leave before there is real trouble? Prince Arthur is nearby and-"

"Oh the prince, eh? Well we're not scared of a little baby prince, are we boys?" the men laughed along with their leader. "Go get the girls; I'll handle this insolent boy."

Eyes flashing gold, he quickly muttered a single word under his breath. Instantly, two of the men fell over, the grass blades wrapping around their heals in tight knots. The other three hissed, walking around the trio in a circle. Edward just looked amused. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? A sorcerer protecting the king's ward and her maid? I never thought I'd see the day when a sorcerer served the king."

"I don't serve him," Merlin snapped. "I would rather die!"

"Hm, well, unfortunately I can't let that happen. Men, don't kill the boy! He'll be worth a fortune to some of our exotic collectors."

"Stay away from him!" Morgana yelled. "We haven't done anything to you, so let us be!"

"Get them, men!"

Merlin shot out his hand as one of the thugs ran over, a blast of energy throwing him back towards one of the trees a few feet away. Gwen instantly picked up a fallen tree branch, chucking it towards the man closest to her. All it did was give him a rather nasty looking scratch on his face, but it was all she had to defend herself.

"Merlin! Help!"

He whirled around, only to find that Edward had a blade to Morgana's throat. "Stop fighting and come with us quietly or the girl dies," he snarled. "And don't think I won't kill her because I will if you make one more move against me."

"Merlin…" Morgana called out, only to have the blade press deeper into her throat.

He looked around, noticing that another man had Gwen as well. She looked terrified, her eyes watering up as she tried not to cry. "Fine," he surrendered, magic gathering silently in his hands as he prepared to blast the men back away from the girls. "We'll go with you."

"NO!" Morgana screamed. "NO!"

He watched with horrified eyes her eyes flashed gold, the blade against her throat dropping to the ground. Edward screamed, his gloved hand shaking as fire danced on the woven seams. He dropped it to the ground, blowing on his now red hand. "You bitch!" he snarled, back handing Morgana and sending her toppling to the ground. "You tried to set me on fire!"

"I…I…"

"Prepare to die!"

"HALT!"

The Slave trader's eyes widened to the size of gold coins as seven of the knights of Camelot appeared through the forest, getting off their horses and hurrying over to the scene. Arthur instantly drew he sword, placing the tip against Edward's throat. "Now, what were you doing attacking the king's ward, her servant, and my druid?"

"Your…your druid?"

"Yes, that's right," Arthur pressed the blade a little bit deeper. "Care to give me an answer."

"They're slave traders," Leon answered as he helped Morgana to her feet, placing an arm around her waist protectively. "Uther has been tracking them for months with no success."

Arthur paused, the blade still against the man's throat as he turned to Merlin. "Did he hurt you?"

Merlin shook his head. "Besides holding knives to Morgana and Gwen's throats and backing handing Morgana, no. He didn't hurt me."

Arthur nodded, eyes glaring at the man. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you," he questioned.

"P…Please…" Edward stuttered pitifully. "I didn't know that the boy was your druid and the girl was the king's ward!"

"Liar!" Gwen shot out, standing very close to Lancelot. "He knew who we were the minute he stepped out!"

"Gwen's right," Morgana echoed. "He was going to sell us. Even Merlin."

Arthur just nodded carefully, eyes blinking a few times as he mulled over what to do. Merlin stepped closer towards him. Arthur just glanced at him. "Did you use your magic?"

"Yes." he admitted, knowing he couldn't lie to him. "Why?"

"Edward, you are hereby charged with attempted kidnapping and murder and will be brought to Camelot for trial," Arthur motioned for the knights to take the slave trader and his men away. "Let's get back to the castle now."

He held Merlin back, looking at him up and down skeptically. "Are those…flowers in your hair?" he asked, almost scornfully. "And is that…a crown of them?"

Merlin flushed red. "Morgana and Gwen insisted on putting them there. I told them no, but they ignored me."

Arthur just smirked, plucking one of the petal's off. "They make you look like a girl."

"Geeze, teasing me right after an arrest? You must be in a fantastic mood today."

The amused look on Arthur's face faltered, a more serious one forming. He stared at Merlin, bright blue eyes looking over his face. "Are you sure he didn't hurt you?"

"He didn't. If he did, you would have felt it," he looked at him curiously. "How did you know where we were?"

Now it was Arthur's turn to go pink. "I felt your fear," he said slowly. "We were scouting the area when I felt your fear. I didn't know what you were afraid of, but it was painful and I knew that you were in some sort of trouble."

"Well, thanks for rescuing us," he smiled lightly. "Though I had everything under control."

"Oh yes, I could see that."

"Well I did!"

"Sure you did, Merlin."

He rolled his eyes. "Clotpole."

"I heard that."

* * *

><p><strong>(With Gaius, later on that evening)<strong>

"I must say, Merlin, I am quite relieved that you, Gwen, and the Lady Morgana are alright. Uther is furious with Edward. His execution is tomorrow morning."

Merlin nodded, gathering a spoonful of pea soup onto his spoon. "I'm glad we're alright too," he said after swallowing. "If Arthur hadn't of shown up, I think we might have been in more serious trouble."

"I'm glad that Uther pardoned your use of magic. This time, anyway," the old man sighed. "If anything, he is thankful that his ward is alright."

He frowned at the mention of Morgana. "There is something I didn't tell you," he began. "And I don't think Morgana realizes it herself."

"What?"

"Morgana used magic."

Gaius shook his head, buttering his slice of bread. "You must be mistaken, Merlin," he muttered. "You were under a lot of pressure."

He glared at the old man. "But I wasn't!" he exclaimed. "I know what I saw and I want you to be honest with me. Does Morgana have magic or not? For pity's sake she practically lit someone on fire!"

Gaius paused, his glare even sharper than Merlin's. "Fine, I will tell you," he spoke in a low voice. "But if anyone finds out, I won't be able to help you."

"I promise not to tell."

The physician sighed. "Morgana does have magic. Uther is not aware of it, but I noticed the signs of it in her when she first came to the court. I've kept her in the dark about it for her own safety. If anyone found out, then she would be in danger. I care about her as if she were my own and if anything happens…"

"Gaius, I won't tell her," he placed a hand on the physician's arm. "I promise that Morgana won't find out."

"Find out about what?"

The two of them jumped, not realizing that Morgana was standing against the door, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Honestly boys, are you two so childish enough to gossip about me while I'm in the room?"

They stood up, giving a bow. "Lady Morgana," Gaius began. "I didn't even hear you enter the room."

She stepped forward, glaring softly at the two of them. "I have magic, don't I?" she asked, biting her lip. "And please don't think about lying to me because I've had enough!" her eyes blazed with green fury. "I'm tired of living in darkness, of having strange dreams and having odd things happen when I'm not paying attention. I want the truth, now! Do I, or do I not, have magic?"

For a spilt second, Merlin thought that Gaius would lay a hand on her shoulder and tell her that she was being delusional, but the old man just sighed in defeat. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this," he murmured, ushering the girl to sit down. "And please don't think badly of me, I was only doing it for your own protection."

"So I do have magic?" she let her eyes close briefly as the old man nodded his head. "Then it all makes sense."

"I didn't want to tell you because of your relation with Uther. With being his ward and all, it would be dangerous for you to even have that knowledge. It was better for you to remain in the dark, so no one would arouse suspicion," he sighed, not meeting her eyes. "I never wanted to make you suffer."

"But I know now," she sighed, relief flooding her eyes. "For years, I thought I was some freak."

"You're not a freak," Merlin looked into her eyes. "Magic isn't something to be ashamed of."

"So, you don't choose magic then? Magic chooses you?"

"Exactly," he nodded. "Uther is wrong about magic. He always has been."

She wrapped her arms around herself. "So I guess I have to go back to pretending that nothing is wrong with me? That I don't have it?"

He let a small smile form on his face. "Yes," he began. "But I can help you get better control on it."

"You can?"

He nodded. "I can teach you some basic things. Once you know those, then you can better understand your magic and control it. If you can control it, no one will suspect you have it."

For the first time that night, a large smile broke out across her face. "I would like that. I would like that very much."

* * *

><p><strong>Ahhhh Morgana knows! But since she won't be going bad in this story, I suppose it is a good thing. And Merlin is helping her, so why would she go bad? I originally wasn't planning on Morgana being with anyone, but this will be key later on in the story. Why, well you'll just have to wait and found out ;)<strong>


	8. A fated meeting

_**Author's note:** I'm back! I am so happy that I have over a hundred followers and not even ten chapters posted! You guys are so awesome! Have some cookies! We see a bit more Merlin and Arthur interaction, so yay! I haven't forgotten about Merlin's family and we will be seeing them soon. The Dragon will be appearing soon as well, so hold onto your hats! On another note, I'm in the process of writing a new Merlin fic where Arthur is a dragon and falls in love with Merlin. I don't know when I will post that, but it will happen!_

_**Warnings: **None_

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin and I never will_

_**Pairings:** ArthurxMerlin, GuineverexLancelot, MorganaxLeon, WillxFreya, UtherxYgraine(implied), BalinorxHunith(implied)_

_**Chapter Summary: **Arthur and Merlin take a trip to some place special, resulting in them meeting someone who will be important in their lives._

_**Chapter eight: A fated meeting**_

_**(Morgana's p.o.v)**_

When Morgana had dreams, it was usually never a good thing.

However, she was not so certain about this one. As she sat up in bed, placing a hand over her pounding heart, she went over what she had just seen with furrowed eyes. In her dream, she'd seen Arthur standing right in front of Uther's throne dressed formally with an embodied red cape around his shoulders. Uther's crown lay perched upon his head.

She didn't know what exactly was going on, but she found herself standing next to Leon. A smile crept its way onto her face, their hands entwining. From the corner of her eye, she could see Gwen and Lancelot holding hands with smiles on their faces. People were talking amongst themselves, but it all went silent when the large double doors opened.

At first, she couldn't see who it was, but from the look on Arthur's face, it was someone good. As the figure walked past her, she was surprised to see that it was Merlin. Her eyes went wide with shock, wondering why on earth Merlin would be there, dressed in a beautiful shade of ruby red with a cape embodied with gold designs. He looked happy, smiling a smile that Morgana had never seen. Arthur looked at him the same way, with love and admiration.

"Do you, Merlin," Arthur began. "Swear to protect and serve the people of Camelot to the best of your abilities?"

"I do," Merlin replied honestly.

"Then I hereby dub Merlin, the court magician of Camelot," Arthur's smile only seemed to grow wider. "Queen, of Camelot."

That was when Morgana's dream ended and to her surprise, she found herself wanting that vision to come true. Even though Arthur was being a prat, there was no doubt in her mind that Merlin could change that. So with new found determination, she lay back in her bed and closed her eyes.

Even if she had to pull some strings to put them together, she would make sure that Merlin sat on the throne next to Arthur.

* * *

><p><strong>(Merlin p.o.v)<strong>

"So, where are we going?"

Merlin tied his satchel to the back of his horse, keeping his eyes trained on the prince. Arthur turned his head around to look at him, looking rather annoyed that he even asked the question. "We're going on a trip, Merlin," he said shortly. "A hunting trip, to be precise."

"Then where are your weapons?"

Arthur scoffed, cuffing him on the back of his head playfully. "Don't be silly Merlin, you packed them already. Don't you remember?"

"No."

The prince rolled his eyes, turning back to his white horse. "Don't tell me you hit your head, Merlin. It would be most awful if you would have to stay behind."

"Must you always be so rude, Arthur?"

Both of them turned to see Morgana facing them, hands lying on her purple satin dress. She looked unimpressed with the prince, her glare rivaling that of the ice cold snow lying on the ground. Merlin bowed to her respectfully, instinct telling him that the king was somewhere nearby. "Lady Morgana," he greeted. "Are you here to see us off?"

"Something like that," she responded, casting her eyes to him. "I wish you two luck on your trip. Uther doesn't know about it."

Merlin blinked twice. "What?"

"He hasn't told you?" she glared at the prince unabashedly. "Why haven't you told him?"

"There were too many people around," Arthur argued. "Do you want some of them to tell my father what I am up to?"

She sighed in defeat, shaking her wavy hair. "I suppose not," she stepped towards Merlin, voice now hushed as Arthur went to go speak with one of the knights. "I think your spells have been helping. I've slept like a babe for the past two weeks!"

"It certainly looks like it," he grinned, pleased to see that she didn't look as tired. "And no more incidents have been happening?"

"Not as many. I've been studying what you assigned me and practiced when no one is around. I wish I could tell Gwen," she glanced towards the maid, who was busy talking with Lancelot. "And Leon."

"It's too early," he argued evenly, trying very hard to not note the sad look on her face. "One day, maybe, but not now. It's too dangerous."

She only sighed, patting him on the chest firmly. "Well, look after him please," she inclined her head towards the prince. "He's stubborn, but sometimes that stubbornness can get him into trouble."

"You mean get me into trouble."

She grinned, kissing his cheek before walking over to Arthur, giving him a stern look whilst saying something that he could not hear. When she left, all he could see was the confused look on Arthur's face. "What was that about?" he asked as Arthur walked to him. "What did she say to you?"

"You know, I'm not quite sure," Arthur replied, looking at her retreating back. "All she said was for me to protect you or else."

"Or else what?"

"You really don't want to know."

They mounted their horses, the two of them leading the animals towards the main gate. "So where are we going?" he asked again. "And I know it's not for hunting."

"Just keep quiet. I'll tell you when we're out of Camelot."

"Okay, okay."

They rode in silence for a long time, both of them trying to avoid each other's gazes. The day wasn't too cold; the mid-January sun shining down on them with warm rays. The last time it had been this nice was when it was his birthday two weeks ago at the very start of the New Year. He smiled, leaning his head back to allow the rays to caress his face.

"You're going to fall off your horse if you keep doing that."

He opened his eyes, casting an irritated look towards the prince for interrupting his relaxing moment. "Were you watching me?" he asked, knowing full well the prince was. Arthur only kept a straight face, eyes focused on the road ahead of them.

"No," the prince responded. "I just think it would be funny if you fell off the horse."

"Aw, so nice that you care."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Anyway, as to your question earlier, we're going some place that my father forbids me from going."

That peaked his interest. His grin faltered slightly, eyes now locked on the prince for any sign of emotion. "Where?" he asked. "To your secret lover's house?"

Arthur glared at him sharply. "No, to my mother's grave."

"Oh…"

"Oh is right," Arthur smirked at his embarrassment. "And just for your information, I do not have a secret lover."

He felt really silly now for saying, his face flushing red. "Sorry," he apologized. "I just didn't think we would be going to your mother's grave. I thought she would be buried where all your other ancestors are buried."

Arthur shook his head. "My mother's brothers, Agravaine and Tristan, insisted that she be buried in her favorite spot as a child. My father, not wanting to make enemies out of them, responded to their wishes."

"Why haven't you ever mentioned them before?"

Arthur only stared at the trees ahead of them. "I rarely ever see my Uncle Agravaine because he dislikes both my father and me. He blames me for his sister's death, you see," he cleared his throat. "And my father had to kill Tristan because Tristan was planning to kill him out of revenge for my mother's death."

"Wow," Merlin whistled once, absorbing all that information in. "You must have one really awkward family reunion."

"Awkward is one way to put it," Arthur agreed, letting a small smile shine through. "But as I said before, we rarely ever see each other. I got the whereabouts of my mother's grave from Agravaine. I was extremely fortunate to have him respond back. So, what's your family like?"

With that one question, Merlin felt his heart grow heavy. As much as he tried not to feel sad while thinking about them, it was very difficult not to. Arthur frowned, now looking ashamed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that."

"It's fine," he argued, greatly pleased with how the prince immediately reacted. "For a while it was just my mother and me living with a band of druids. They seemed to know I had magic and offered for both my mother and me to live with them. A little while later, my mother found another little boy and took him in as her adopted son. That would be my best friend, Will. He's engaged to my other friend, Freya."

"He's getting married? I didn't know Druids married."

Merlin cast him a scathing look. "Do you think we just live in trees and tents in the forest and use magic all day long?" he sighed at the blank look on the prince's face. "Okay, so maybe we do, but that's not the point. Our weddings just aren't as fancy as the royal ones."

"What do you do?"

"Well," Merlin thought, thinking hard. "We give the couple a bell as a wedding gift; every couple gets one. The ceremony is very much like the ones in Camelot, though the couple binds their magic together. Afterwards, we mainly just dance traditional dances and eat food."

Arthur smiled. "I bet you're clumsy when you dance."

He rolled his eyes, not offended by the Prince's joking voice. "Not at all. I am as graceful as a Swan."

"If that is true, then why did you trip up the stairs while bringing me my lunch yesterday?"

"In my defense, they had recently polished the steps."

Arthur grinned, giving him a quick light hearted punch in the arm. "If you say so, Merlin," he smirked, though it soon fell short when Merlin just stared at him. "What?"

"What was the purpose of punching me in the arm?"

Arthur just cocked his head, a million thoughts now racing through his mind. "It works with the knights," he suggested. "We roughhouse all the time."

"Well they're thick, aren't they?"

"I'm a knight."

He almost wanted to cower underneath Arthur's hard tone, but he stood his ground. "I meant they have more muscle," he corrected, now realizing that he did say the earlier sentence wrong. "Besides, I can't help the fact that I'm lanky. Arthur?"

By now he realized that Arthur had stopped, getting off his horse and tying the reigns to a nearby tree. Merlin quickly followed, heading after the Prince with long strides seeing as Arthur was a fast walker. A large willow tree stood tall and proud over a gorgeous blue lake, the water sparkling as it reflected the rays of the sun. The wind blew the long branches gently, the leaf less tree looking kind of bare in the January air.

Arthur stepped forward, looking down at a large stone that held the name Ygraine De Bois Pendragon. For the longest time, he didn't say anything. He just stared at the tombstone, his eyes holding a hard look. Merlin swallowed, feeling the onslaught of Arthur's emotions. "Are you okay?" he asked boldly. "Arthur?"

"I wonder if she would be proud of me."

Merlin just stared at him incredulously. "Why wouldn't she be? You're her son; she loved you."

Arthur glanced at him. "How do you know?" he asked. "I am the reason she is dead."

"Women dying in childbirth is nothing new," he said, quickly adding more to that phrase. "From what the druids have told me, Ygraine was a great woman. She was tolerant of those with magic and didn't want anyone to be hurt. Her best friend was a witch, you know."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm a druid. Alator, our leader, met Ygraine before. He said that she was probably the greatest Queen to ever exist," he smiled at the softening look on Arthur's face. "And she was excited about having a child, so why would she hate you? And I'm sure if she saw you today she would be proud."

"Even for taking you from your people?"

He sighed at that, feeling the urge to smack the clotpole's head. "Maybe not for that, but maybe she'd want us to make the best of the situation," he stared into Arthur's eyes firmly. "Maybe she would think that I am here to make you a great king."

Arthur just rolled his eyes, ruffling his dark hair, much to his displeasure. "You sure do have a way with words, Merlin," he laughed, continuing the ruffle his hair. "But maybe you have a point."

"Really?"

"Of course not."

He wanted to smack the prat or use magic on him, but the way he looked at him made him realize he didn't mean it. And if Merlin wanted a Camelot filled with safety for his people, then he would have to help Arthur make better decisions. Otherwise the clotpole would be lost without him. As Arthur began to walk away, he waited a minute. Giving one last look at the grave, he muttered a single spell. Instantly, a few flowers were placed at the grave, lying gently in a neat order.

"Let's get going," Arthur called out. "I'm hungry and there is a tavern about a mile away."

"Prince Arthur at a tavern? What would the king say?"

"Shut it Merlin."

* * *

><p>The tavern was a nice place; not too crowded yet not quite empty at the same time. No one seemed to recognize that Arthur was the Prince, so there was no one to fuss and fawn over him. They ordered mead, the standard drink of this place and to Merlin's delight, it was actually quite cozy. And so far, no one seemed drunk.<p>

Though, it was probably in the later hours that people got drunk anyway.

"What are you thinking about?"

He jumped at Arthur's question, earning a quizzical look from the man. "Nothing," he replied. "Other than the fact it's nice here. The people seem friendly enough."

"Hm, I suppose you're right."

The barmaid came over to them, her brown eyes smiling kindly down at them. "Here you go boys," she set two jugs of mead down in front of them, wiping her hands on her apron. "Your lunch will be on its way," the doors to the tavern opened loudly, a group of six men came bustling in. The barmaid's face fell, eyes flashing with anger. "Oh no."

Arthur stared at her, lips forming a thin line. "Bad company come in?"

"You could say that."

She quickly hurried away, keeping a hawk-like gaze on the men, who sat down at their table nearby. Merlin glanced at them uncomfortably, realizing now that most of them were completely wasted. Arthur just nudged him. "Just ignore them," he said quietly. "And they won't bother us. Don't draw attention to yourself."

"Hey you!" one of the drunken men stumbled over, draping an arm over Merlin's shoulder. "What's your name?"

Arthur groaned quietly, casting him an irritated look. "Didn't I just say don't draw attention to yourself?"

"Arthur!"

The man rubbed his shoulder, his drunken breath very close to your nose. "I said, what's your name?" the hand began to dig itself into his shoulder. "Come on love, don't be shy."

"Please leave me alone," Merlin pushed the hand away, trying to keep a polite face. "I'm just trying to enjoy my lunch."

"Oh don't be like that. Come one; tell me, what's your name?"

"I believe he asked you to leave him alone," Arthur leaned over to the man threateningly. "It would be in your best interest to leave us be."

The man laughed, drawing his sword out and holding it to Arthur's chest. "Oh, is he _your _lover then? Because if you want to share, I'd be more than happy to."

Merlin flushed pink, glancing at Arthur and then back to the man. "You have it all wrong," he protested. "We're not lovers, we're just friends."

"Well then, why so defensive?" the man quickly grabbed his wrist, nearly yanking him out of his seat. "Why don't you just come along with me?"

Arthur drew his own sword, pointing it rather hard to the drunken man's chest. "I'd let go of him if I were you," his voice was like steel, sharp and cold. For a second, even Merlin felt afraid of him. "Let him go, leave us alone, and we won't have any problems, alright?"

"You don't scare me, blondie!"

"Why don't you just leave them alone? Clearly they don't want your company."

A new voice rang out in the distance, the image of a man with shaggy dark brown hair complete with a rugged looking mustache sauntered over. His dark brown eyes gleamed with excitement, almost as if he were anticipating a fight. The drunk man narrowed his eyes, anger soon filling. "I know you!" he snarled. "You took half of my money at last night's game!"

The man only smiled, bringing his fists up. "For your information," he lashed out, giving the man a swift uppercut. "I _won _half your money at last night's game!"

The man stumbled backwards, letting go of Merlin and crashing into a big hurly looking man. The large man glared down at him, punching him into the wall. The drunken man's friends scattered, each of them picking a fight with people in the tavern. The barmaids scrambled, hiding behind the counter and throwing random plates at any of the drunken men that came nearby.

Eyes flashing gold, Merlin levitated a chair and threw it at one of the men that came nearby, grinning and then throwing punch straight into the man who hit on him. "Serves you right!" he called out, using magic to throw him back. "Should have left when you had the chance!"

"Merlin, I don't think he can hear you!" Arthur ducked, using his leg to sweep out his opponents feet. The man toppled down, allowing Arthur to knock him out. "And I don't think he'd care!"

The tavern was a mess by the time the fight had settled down, a few of the local men throwing out the drunkards. The barmaids grumbled about the mess, but each of them cast grateful looks in their direction. Arthur wiped his hands on his pants, turning towards the man who'd helped them. "Thank you," he said. "I am Prince Arthur of Camelot, and this is my druid-"

"Merlin," the man continued, earning confused looks from the two of them. "Don't be surprised; word travels fast."

Merlin frowned, still completely impressed with the man. "Who are you?" he asked. "I don't think we've seen you around before."

The man grinned, giving his hair a flip. "My name is Gwaine," he shook both their hands. "And it is a pleasure to meet you."

* * *

><p><strong>Yay! Gwaine! I love Gwaine! He's like the Dean Winchester of Merlin XD Anyways, Review please! More updates will be coming your way if you do!<strong>


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